Hoenn - Where the Journey Begins
by Fancyyy
Summary: Lows Landerson, a boy from the Kanto region, went on a journey with his friends, Cassie and Disc in the Hoenn region. Little did he know, the journey was harder than it looked. A troublesome villain team, new rivals and friends with different attitudes, and the mystery of the trainer who saved him 3 years ago. Can Lows manage to stand out among all trainers? Hope you guys enjoy! :D
1. Hoenn Prologue

**Alright, hey guys, what's up, it's Fancy, and welcome to my first story: Hoenn - Where The Journey Begins! I guess everything will be in the description, so I don't have to explain much. I just want to say that every future chapter will show Lows'** **Pokémon** **Team below, so you guys won't be confused. Also, there will be questions of every chapter too, be sure to check them out! You can also check out my YT channel for more updates of my fanfiction page or my videos! c/ItzFancy**

 **Note: The year of this story is 2004. The age of the characters in the game may be different, but overall it should be fine. I used 2016 before, but I changed it because some parts may not be fitting to the year, and reasons that will be revealed as the chapter goes.**

 **Also, Lows' pronunciation is "Laos".**

 **But anyways, enjoy the prologue of this story! :D**

 **-Fancyyy**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _"Where...is this place? I better get back home fast, or not...AHHHHHHHH!" I saw many different Pokémon were behind me, chasing after me. My mind was filled with fear and I quickly ran away from them, despite not knowing where to go._

 _"Oh no, they are still behind me! I better...run faster...Ouch!" Without noticing, I tripped over a rock and fell down. I couldn't run as my leg was injured. I saw those Pokémon flying and crawling towards me. I couldn't help but screamed on top of my voice._

 _"HELP ME...HELP ME!" I screamed as loud as I can, even though I knew that no one will hear me despite that I'm in this weird place with no one in it. Just when I was going to accept my fate, a tall looking guy suddenly showed up with 6 Pokéballs on his belt._

 _"Warrior, take those guys out!" As the tall-looking man yelled, he sent a Pokémon out, who was quite large in size. The Pokémon landed on the ground, which made the ground shook a bit, and all the terrified Pokémon ran away from them after seeing the enormous size of the Pokémon. After the man got those Pokémon out, he quickly came to me, as he knew that I was still terrified from the scene._

 _"Little boy, are you okay?!" I tried to speak, but I was slowly losing consciousness. Suddenly, everything turned pitched black in front of my eyes._

"ARGHHHH...AHHHHH!" I woke up from my nightmare, no, rather a nightmare, it was actually a memory that actually occured a few years ago when I was 7. I realised that I was so scared, that sweat were all over me. I looked at my watch and it was already 9:50 a.m.

 _Oh no! I am almost late for the big day! I gotta hurry!_ Thinking that, I hurried and did the usual things I do every morning- brushing my teeth, washing my face, and of course combing my hair. After everything was prepared, I quickly got out of my room and went downstairs.

"Hey Lows! You're almost late for your big day, come here and quickly eat your breakfast!" Oh yeah, as you heard from what my mother said, my name is Lows, Lows Landerson! And speaking of what my big day is, I'll tell you that later! _Now, I need to really focus on eating my breakfast fast! AH!_

"Thanks, Mom." I quickly sat down and ate 2 slices of bread at once. My mother noticed that I wasn't just worried for my big day, but also still terrified of the nightmare.

"Lows, did you dreamt of that terrifying memory of yours again? You should really try to forget about that memory, you know."

Ah, mother knows best! But sadly, I couldn't really forget about it because the experience was scary, but seeing how awesome that trainer was really lit up my hopes to achieve something that I really wanted in life.

"Yeah, I'll try to forget it. Thanks for the breakfast mom, I'm out now! Goodbye!" I quickly ran off my house and also not forgetting to wave my hands to my mother.

I quickly ran as fast as I can to my friend's house. While I'm on the way, I guess I can finally tell you what the "big day" is. So, it was my friend's 10th birthday, and as we promised, we will all start our journey together by picking a starter Pokémon. Well, my birthday was already over, but we wanted to start our first step in pursuing dreams together.

Also, we live in Kanto, but we decided to start our journey in Hoenn as many rare Pokémon that we don't normally see in Kanto are in there. Also, in Hoenn I can also find out the mystery of the trainer who saved me a few years ago.

Yeah, the bad memory I had when I was 7 took place when I traveled with my family in one of the places in the Hoenn region. I wandered off a little bit too much and got lost in a place I didn't know, and later, all those stuff happened.

So, I just want to find out who is the one who saved me, and maybe...say thanks, or maybe learn more about Pokémon from him. He seems like a strong Pokémon trainer! My friends and I got the chance to travel in Hoenn after days of discussing with our parents, so we will not waste this chance by working hard in our journey!

 _Oh no...I have wandered off again!_ By the time I've got to my friend's house, I'm already a few minutes late. "Lows! You're late again. Why are you always late in these kinds of important things?" Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce my two friends that are coming with me!

So, the one who just spoke is Cassie, she has long, blonde hair, and she always like to wear red shirts. Another friend of mine, who is also the birthday boy, Daniel, but we always called him Disc, because he just loveeeeees to play with discs ever since he was young. I just hope that he doesn't catch disc-looking Pokémon in his journey...

"Cassie, Disc, I'm sorry...I'm only a few minutes late thou! So, where is the starter Pokemon that we're going to pick?" I asked in confusion.

"Oh, isn't that obvious...Don't you see that big bag over there?" Upon finishing that sentence, he pointed to a direction where the big bag is. I guess inside it are the Pokémon. "Wow, amazing! Why don't we open them up right now?" Upon hearing me, my two friends nodded, and we went towards the bad and opened it.

Inside the bag are three Pokéballs, three Pokégears and a note, we looked at the note and it said, " **Well if your seeing this note, I, Prof. Oak has some important work to do in the Sinnoh Region, so I can't accompany you guys when you're picking your** **Pokémon** **! But don't worry, there are one** **Pokémon** **in each** **Pokéball** **, one for each of you guys. And also, you all can take a** **Pokégear** **for each of you. It has my number, and your family, relatives and the other** **Pokégears'** **number! Lows, Cassie and Disc, good luck in your journey! -Prof. Oak** "

 _Wow... Prof. Oak's pretty nice, he even got a_ _Pokégear_ _for each of us!_ I thought to myself. "Well, let's take a Pokégear first!" We agreed to Cassie, and we took a Pokégear and checked what is in the Pokéballs. Inside it, it was **Bulbasaur** , **Squirtle** and **Charmander** , the three Kanto starters. We took a few minutes to think of what Pokémon should each of us pick.

 _I guess Charmander is going to be everyone's pick... But I have to try to get the best! I would choose either Squirtle or Charmander then._ After thinking, I decided to tell them my choice first. "I'm...choosing Squirtle, or Charmander,"

They don't seemed surprised, but Disc also spoke up, "I want one of those two too!" _Yep, I'm not surprised too._ But what about Cassie? "Ermm...I can't make up my mind! All three Pokémon seemed so good!" After which felt like forever, we still can't make up our minds to pick which Pokémon.

"Alright, I have an idea to solve this problem!" Cassie suddenly jumped up joyfully as she got an idea, but we don't seem to be happy, as her ideas are always weird...but, it also somehow works every time. "Since we can't make up our minds, why don't we all close our eyes to pick one Pokéball, and whatever we chose, we can't regret our choice. Deal?"

 _That is...one of the weirdest ways to pick a starter_ _Pokémon_ _._ "Well, it is weird, as usual...but it might just work!" Disc seems to agree with Cassie's solution, so what else can I say? "Alright...let's do this! Everyone close your eyes and pick...NOW!"

We closed our eyes and tried to take a Pokéball, but it didn't end up well. We just keep bumping, bumping and bumping into each other's arms. And after a bunch of ouchies, we finally took a Pokéball for each of us.

"Alright, we can open our eyes now! Now, Lows, you can show what Pokémon is in it first." Now, why does everytime I have to lead first! I am very nervous to show my Pokémon. _What if it isn't the_ _Pokémon_ _I desire?_

 _I guess it's now or never_ , "Alright, here I go. Hi...ya!" I opened the Pokéball I was holding, and a red light beamed towards the ground, and inside the Pokéball was the Pokémon...

* * *

 **That's it for this prologue guys! What a cliffhanger, but I hope you all enjoyed my first chapter in my first story. I will try to update this story as fast as possible! Thanks for watching, and review if you have any suggestions for the future chapters! Be sure to follow and favourite if you like it, it really boosts my motivation to continue!**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think of Cassie's idea to choose a starter Pokemon?**

 **What Pokemon do you think Lows will get?**


	2. Hoenn 1

**Woah, alright guys, welcome back to the first official chapter of my first story! I am definitely going to work hard on this, and I hope that my hard work really pays off. Be sure to favourite or follow if you really enjoyed! Really gives me the motivation. Anyways, enjoy the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Chasing Dreams**

A red light beamed towards the ground, and inside the Pokéball was the Pokémon...

 **Squirtle**.

 _Well, at least it is one of my desire choice_ , I thought.

"Woah, so Lows got a Squirtle! So that means...It's either Charmander or Bulbasaur. Are you ready, Disc? Let's open our Pokéballs together!" Disc agreed with Cassie, and together, they opened their Pokéballs.

The two cries of the two Pokémon was heard by us, and we looked at the two Pokémon's position...

Suddenly, I realized Disc returned the Pokémon back to the Pokéball and walked away a little bit. I knew that it is what Disc always do when he is mad. So that means...

The Pokémon right in front of Cassie was the Lizard Pokémon, **Charmander**. That signaled that Disc got **Bulbasaur**.

 _No wonder why Disc is mad. He got the_ _Pokémon_ _that he didn't wanted_ , I thought.

"Woahhh! I didn't expect to get Charmander, I thought I would get something gentle like Bulbasaur..." Cassie was obviously shocked at the results, she was only expecting to get Bulbasaur. To be honest, she didn't really like, or should I say, didn't really know how to deal with tough-looking Pokémon. So, I kinda understand her reaction.

"Maybe I should give Charmander to Disc...He seems to be very upset about getting a Bulbasaur." Cassie is about to return Charmander back to its Pokéball, but Charmander growled at Cassie cutely, as the male Lizard Pokémon really liked his new trainer.

"Well, I don't know if I can train you, Charmander...The trainer that really wants you isn't me. But I really like you! Don't get it wrong. Now, let us go find Disc, Lows," said Cassie.

I nodded and we all ran out of Disc's house. After a bit of searching, we finally found Disc. He didn't have any emotions on his face, so I wasn't sure if he was still mad or not.

"Well...Disc, you see, I-I know that your mad-d about not getting Charmander-r, so I want-t to..." Cassie was sad about letting Charmander go, but she also didn't want to upset one of her best friends.

Suddenly, Disc spoke up. "Cassie, I know that you really cared about the new Charmander, so you can keep it. You said we shouldn't have regrets about our choice. I have been thinking just now, since I have Bulbasaur now, whether I like or dislike Bulbasaur before, I have to love and care about her. That is what being a good trainer really is about. So Cassie, I have thought about it and you should keep Charmander, he seems to really like you, too," Upon saying those sentences, we all looked at Cassie's Charmander, which was holding Cassie's leg, as he really wants to be with her.

"Ahh! Charmander, stop! That really tickles! Hahahahaha..." Cassie laughed and fell onto the ground, and played with Charmander a bit. After she got up, she thanked Disc. "Thanks for letting me keep him, Disc, I'll make sure to take good care of him!" Disc smiled upon her response, and I smiled too.

"Hey since we all got our Pokémon, why don't we nickname our Pokémon? It would be more fun to call them by their own name!" They smiled at my suggestions, agreeing my idea. After some thinking, I named my Squirtle **Surfer** , Cassie named her Charmander **Fire** , Disc named his Bulbasaur **Leafy**. After that, we decided to go talk to our parents before leaving at 11:30 a.m.

"Is that your new Pokémon, Lows? That is really awesome!" My mom was very happy with the Pokémon I picked. "Yeah, it is mom. Anyways, I can't wait to travel the Hoenn region!"

Suddenly, my mom gave me a loving look. "Lows, be careful at the Hoenn region. If something bad happened and you feel upset, you can always come home. But remember your responsibility of taking good care of your Pokémon."

"Don't-t worry, I will, and I can always call you with my Pokégear-r," I was almost going to burst into tears, but I hold back.

And then, I saw my father walking towards me, I saw his red eyes and thought, _Did Dad cry before? He never cries, not that I know about it, except for that one time..._

"Lows, good luck on your journey. We will always call you to make sure you're ok," Dad said in a sad tone. I was starting to become sad too, because I knew that I was going to leave my home for quite a long time.

"Well, will you look at the time, it's 11:30 a.m. already! The taxi arrived too, I can hear the sound of the engine!" Upon hearing that, we all immediately looked out of the window: the taxi that we called has already arrived.

"Mom-m, and Dad-d, I am going to miss you guys a lot-t-t-t," My Mom and Dad hugged me, comforting the sad companion. After that, I took my things and went into the taxi. I waved hands to my parents until they are out of my sight.

* * *

While on the way to Vermilion City, where I was going to board a ship to the Hoenn region, I sent out my Pokemon in the taxi, and the Water Pokémon growled at me cutely.

"Surfer, are you excited to travel with me?" Surfer growled excitedly and had a happy expression on his face. I can tell that he was really ready to go with me.

After that, I talked with Surfer a little bit, even if I didn't know that if he understood what I said. I hoped so anyways! After about 20 minutes, I arrived in Vermilion City, I paid the taxi driver and took my backpack with me, and with Surfer behind me too.

"So this is Vermilion City...So if I'm not mistaken, we are supposed to board the ship S.S. Fast at 12:30 p.m. In the mean time, what should I do?" Suddenly, somebody tapped my shoulder, making me jumped. "That's right! What should we do when we still have... 30 minutes?" They were Cassie and Disc, who apparently also just arrived, with their Pokémon with them.

"Maybe we can go explore in the city... Look! What is that?" We all looked at the same direction, and we saw a carnival going on over there. There were many people there, with many stalls selling all kinds of different stuff.

"So...You guys wanna explore around the carnival?" They nodded and without thinking twice, we immediately ran towards the carnival.

Me and Surfer walked around and looked at the stalls excitedly. There were many kinds of stuff that I wanted to buy, but I didn't have enough money, so I only bought some important stuff: Some Pokeballs, potions, Pokemon food, some Berry Pots and some berry seeds. Who knows, maybe I need Berries for my Pokémon in the future!

When I was just about to leave, I accidentally knocked over a boy, making me fell down. The boy didn't even apologize, but he did scold me in front of everyone.

"What do you think you're doing! Get out of my way! Don't you have eyes? Are you blind?!" He yelled so loud, that everyone was looking at us. I felt very upset about it. I knew that I was the one who made a mistake, but he didn't have to scold me with such a loud voice...

Suddenly, two people showed up and talked for for me. "He just did it on accident. Why are you being so rude, man?" It was Cassie and Disc. _Ah, friends, what can I do without you two?_ I looked at them with a thankful expression, and they looked at me with a determined smile.

"Well, I'm saying that he did it on purpose! All people in Kanto are just stupid weaklings that don't know how to battle!" After he said that, an invisible bomb exploded in everyone's heart, and they were starting to dislike him. Seeing the situation might be bad for him, he immediately ran away from the scene.

"Lows, are you okay?" Cassie and Disc asked me, who was still on the ground after falling down. I quickly got up and said, "I'm fine, but what I can't accept is that guy's attitude. What's wrong with him?!"

"Well, don't mind him, he's just cocky because he almost won the Junior Division in Kanto." Cassie replied me with a somewhat calm tone.

"Wait, you know this guy?" Disc is obviously shocked as I am.

"Yeah, he is Harry, son of one of the Hoenn Gym Leaders. He started his journey at 11, a year late to study battle strategies for the year. After that, he explored the Kanto region, and became the semifinalist of the Junior Division in the Indigo League. That's why he calls most of the other trainers in Kanto weaklings." Cassie replied.

"I heard that he is starting over in Hoenn, which means...he would participate in the Hoenn League too..." Cassie whispered to us with this last sentence, making me shocked.

"Oh nuts, this isn't good..." Disc replied with a terrified tone. I knew that he felt like losing the league already after hearing that Harry was participating in the league.

"Well, guys, no need to be so upset. We shouldn't be focusing on him, we should just focus on ourselves to win!" Upon hearing my words, their faces lit up and gave me a determined smile.

"Well, look at the time now! We should go now," Following Disc's sentence, we all packed our things and left the carnival, and went to S.S. Fast to set sail to Hoenn.

* * *

"Mr. Daniel, Mr. Lows and Ms. Cassie, may you three show me your trainer cards?"  
A receptionist asked with a polite tone.

We politely showed her our trainer cards that we just got a few days ago. After that, she nodded with a smile. "Alright, Mr. Daniel, Mr. Lows and Ms. Cassie, so you are going to board S.S. Fast to Hoenn's Slateport City, and then I suggest you to board another ship to Littleroot Town, where most people start their journey in Hoenn. But anyways, your rooms are Room 12 for Mr. Daniel, Room 13 for Mr. Lows and Room 15 for Ms. Cassie. Pokémon battles are allowed in the main hall, and beside the main hall, you can enjoy your meal before we arrive, and there are Pokémon food for your Pokémon too. Understand?" We nodded, and the receptionist smiled and told us to enjoy in S.S. Fast.

We decided to go in our rooms to put our stuff first. I opened the door of my room and I was amazed by how beautiful it is. A queen-sized bed, a big space to move around, and awesome decorations, and windows to look at the night sea... This is amazing.

I sent out Surfer from his Pokéball, and he looked out the window immediately. I guessed this was his first time looking at the sea. "Are you ready to explore with me?" He nodded with an excited look on its face.

Later, we left our rooms and went to the main hall with my two friends. I went to eat with Surfer while my two friends wanted to battle in the main hall. When I was enjoying my food, they suddenly came to me with an anxious look on their face.

"We got beaten by a trainer easily when we are winning against some trainers...You gonna help, Lows!" Disc said with an upset tone.

"Yeah, and the trainer who defeated us is...Harry! He's in this ship too!" Cassie said with a nervous tone.

"What? He's here too? I immediately went to the main hall with Surfer.

I saw Harry defeating all the trainers one by one, and I heard him mumbled, "All Kanto trainers are just weaklings..." Suddenly, he saw me and yelled, "Hey, you're the clumsy guy from before! Your friends are defeated pretty easily, so why don't we battle?! Are you too afraid to accept this challenge?!" He teased me with a annoying voice.

 _Oh, how I hate this kind of bullies!_ I thought, and I was nervous, but I replied, "S-sure, why not-t?" I had only learnt some battle strategies by watching TV, so I hoped those will work...

"Alright then! Go...Mudkip!" He sent out his Mudkip from his Pokéball, but I saw his Mudkip's sad expression. But still, I ignored that and send out Surfer too.

"Alright, I shall go first! Mudkip, use Mud Slap on that Squirtle after getting closer to him!" Mudkip immediately ran towards Surfer, and shot a small pile of mud towards Surfer. Surfer couldn't react in time, mud splashed all over his face, and he couldn't see much.

Oh no, I have to think fast! "Mudkip, use Mud Slap again!" As he yelled the command and Mudkip is approaching, I suddenly got an idea.

"Surfer, use Growl to make Mudkip stop, and use Tackle on him!" Surfer finally found the direction of Mudkip, and growled at him fiercely, making it stunned. Then, Surfer immediately ran towards the Mud Fish Pokémon, and tackled it, making it fall back.

Although I was happy that the strategy worked, I noticed that Surfer is tired. "Surfer, win or lose, let's try our best! Run towards Mudkip and use tackle!" He nodded and ran towards him.

"Mudkip, counter his attack with Tackle too!"

Both Pokémon rushed towards each other and tackled. Mudkip is still able to stand, but Surfer fell to the ground and couldn't move.

"I guess I win, weakling," Harry teased with a arrogant look on his face, but suddenly, I realised people around us are clapping...for me, not Harry, making Harry and I shocked.

"Why are you guys clapping for him?! He lost, I won!" He yelled.

"It's because that he cared about his Pokémon and fought his best. But you didn't consider for your Pokémon, I can see that sad expression of Mudkip!" Oh, it wasn't just me who saw it, the others saw it too!

"I don't care about the feelings of them, I just want strong Pokémon!" After saying that, he ran away, with his Mudkip, who was forced to follow him. I felt kinda bad for Mudkip.

"Surfer, are you okay? Thanks a lot, you battled well," Surfer nodded slowly, with a smile even it is tired from the battle. Then, I noticed people cheering for me and Surfer.

"Nicely done, you two! I believe that you can beat him next time," My heart was blooming with happiness even I lost. I also realised by battling, my bond with Surfer are getting closer.

I also saw Cassie and Disc, who gave me words of encouragement after I lost. But I was really happy about the first battle I had with Surfer. Even if we lost, our bond definitely became stronger and I believe that if we train more, we will become stronger in the future!

* * *

After that, we three went to heal our Pokémon and went back to our room. Before going to sleep, me and Cassie decided to give Disc a surprise before his birthday ends. So, we went to Disc's room and knocked the door. When he opened the door, he was definitely surprised.

"Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you..." We sang the Happy Birthday song for him while holding a cake.

"Thanks, everyone..." Disc had a happy expression on his face. He then made a wish: "I hope that our friendship last forever." We all smiled, and we ate the cake and we went back to our rooms.

In my room, I asked Surfer, "Surfer, do you enjoyed the battle we had? Because I did," Surfer nodded with a happy expression, I was glad because that he enjoyed the battle, too.

"Let's do better in the future, then!" Surfer jumped cheerfully, and we went to the bed to sleep for another exciting day of our adventures.

* * *

 **That's it for Chapter 1 guys! I don't know if it's long enough, but nevertheless, hope you all enjoyed! More things will happen in Chapter 2, so be sure to stay tuned!**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:  
Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature  
Moves: Tackle, Growl**

 **Questions of the Chapter:  
** **How do you think of Harry?**

 **What do you think of the battle? (Please be honest, I'm still new to describing battles)**


	3. Hoenn 2

**In the last chapter, Lows, Cassie and Disc revealed their Pokémon, went to a carnival and met an arrogant trainer from Hoenn, and when they board S.S, Fast, they met the trainer again and lost to him in a battle. Even though Lows lost, he still feels that how a battle strengthens the bond between him and Surfer. What is going to happen in this chapter? Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - There's No Such Thing as Weak Pokémon**

After having a nice sleep in my room, I woke up just in time to hear the announcement, _"The S.S. Fast is going to arrive in Slateport City in 30 minutes. Please pack your things and get ready to leave the ship. We are not responsible for any personal belongings lost. Thank you for your cooperation."_

 _Alright, we are finally going to arrive in Slateport!_ I looked at Surfer and realized that he was still sleeping. I tried not to wake him up while packing my things.

When I finished packing up my things, another announcement came up. " _The S.S. Fast has arrived in Slateport City. Please leave the ship as soon as possible with your personal belongings. Thank you for boarding S.S. Fast._ "

 _Yes, I'm finally in Hoenn!_ While I'm happily thinking about it, Surfer suddenly woke up due to the loud announcement. "Surfer, you're finally awake, let's get out of this ship!" I returned him to his Pokéball, and I opened the door and realized that Cassie and Disc were already outside, waiting for me.

"Are you guys ready to explore the Hoenn region?" They both nodded in determination, and we got out of the ship fast.

* * *

 _Wow... So this is Slateport City!_ I happily thought. Slateport is a city built near the sea, so I could feel the sea breeze already. It was cooling and refreshing. _How wonderful this place is!_

"Ermm.. So, the receptionist suggested that we should start at Littleroot Town, but we need a ship. Who is going to help us?" Disc anxiously asked, and we were all unsure what to do.

Suddenly, a man with sailor clothes suddenly came right in front of our eyes and said with a British accent, "Do you guys need a ship to get to Littleroot? Don't worry, help is right here! Mr. Draky at your service!"

"Oh... So you can take us to Littleroot? How wonderful! But we don't have much money..." Mr. Draky, the sailor is still happy. "I don't need any money! All I wanted is to help new trainers with their needs! I'll take you all to Littleroot. Come with me!"

 _Wow... A nice person already in Hoenn! He's very nice, and I hope I can find more nice people in Hoenn, unlike that Harry guy..._ I thought while we followed Mr. Draky. Then, we saw a ship in normal size at the beach.

"So this is my ship! Is this good for all of ya?" We all nodded and got up to the ship. "Alright mateys! We are going to set sail now! Let's sail our way to Littleroot!"

The journey to Littleroot was fine, I only wished that he didn't sail that fast. I swear, I was going to be seasick if the journey wasn't that short... Anyways, we reached Littleroot in only a short period of time.

"Alright, we have reached Littleroot! I'm supposed you mateys are going to enjoy yourself here, so I won't interrupt! Goodbye, mateys!" We thanked him and said goodbye to him before he went back to Slateport.

"So, maybe we should go and meet Prof. Birch in this town first?" We all agreed to Disc's idea, and we saw the lab and went in.

"Ah, another three new trainers! Are you here to choose your starter Pokémon?" A man who had normal height, wearing a white jacket and black shorts, came and greeted us.

"No, actually... We just came to see the world's famous Professor Birch, who I assume it's you? We came from Kanto. I'm Lows, and this is Cassie and Disc." I explained to Prof. Birch.

"Oh, new trainers from Kanto! That's a rare sight! Interesting...interesting... So, did you guys get a Pokédex?" We were stunned by his question.

"No, we didn't... We just realized that Prof. Oak didn't give us a Pokédex."

"Oh, that forgetful old friend of mine! Don't worry, I'll give Pokédex for all of you. It contains all the information for the Pokémon in Hoenn and Kanto region, so it's pretty useful!" Saying that, he took out three Pokédex and gave them to us.

"Wow, thanks, Professor!" _Another nice guy in Hoenn!_ I gladly thought, but I was also curious about one thing. "Professor, your outfit doesn't seem like a lab outfit. Why are you dressed like that?"

"Oh, I dressed like that because I always love to learn things about Pokémon on the field, rather than studying in the lab. Isn't that more fun?" We all nodded at his explanation.

"I think we should go now. Thanks, Prof. Birch!"

"You're sincerely welcome! Come back anytime if you have problems!" We all said goodbye to him and walked out of his lab.

* * *

"Since we got a Pokédex... Why don't we use them on our Pokémon?" We all agreed to Disc, and we sent out our Pokémon and scanned them. I scanned Surfer first and the Pokédex said with a robotic voice, [Squirtle, the Water Pokémon. When it retracts its long neck into its shell, it squirts out water with vigorous force.] Then, when I scanned Fire and Leafy, the Pokédex spoke again. [Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out.] [Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. There is a plant seed on its back right from the day this Pokémon is born. The seed slowly grows larger.]

 _Wow... this is certainly amazing to know more about them._ I thought, and I looked at my two friends' surprised faces. _This is our first time doing this, so... our reactions should be normal, right?_ I hope so, anyways!

"Wow... This Pokédex thing sure is amazing! I'm going to try getting all the Pokédex filled first!" Cassie excitedly shouted, but Disc had to interrupt her. "Don't you know, Cassie? Sorry to burst your bubble but... Red had already filled the entire Pokédex in Kanto."

"But this is different, this is Hoenn! I will surely fill it all first here!" We all laughed slightly at her determination, and we all walked to the route just beside Littleroot, Route 101.

"So... we have made our first step into Hoenn's routes! Amazing! I wonder what we are going to find?" I asked, excited.

"Well, let's explore around this route for any new Pokémon in Hoenn before getting to Oldale Town, the town we are going to reach after passing this route." We all agreed to Disc, and we slowly walked across the route while trying to find Pokémon. Unfortunately, no Pokémon showed up just yet.

When we're about to reach Oldale Town, I saw a guy shouting. I didn't look at him, but I recognized this as Harry's voice. We walked towards him and heard him kicking a Pokémon away rudely while insulting the Pokémon.

"Arghh, stop getting near me! Why would I want you to be in my team? You're just a weak Pokémon that no one likes! I would rather find strong Pokémon that are rare than letting you weak Pokémon to join me!"

The Pokémon was definitely sad from his insult and walked away lonely. I saw that Pokémon has brown fur covering its body, in a zig-zag pattern. I immediately scanned the Pokémon. [Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon. A Pokémon with abundant curiosity. It shows an interest in everything, so it always zigs and zags.]

I was triggered by his insults towards Zigzagoon, and he made me think of the bullies at my school. _Arghh, such bad memories._ Immediately, I spoke up for Zigzagoon.

"Who do you think you are? It's not funny to insult anyone like that! There's no such thing as weak Pokémon, only bad trainers! Even if you only want strong Pokémon, you shouldn't insult Zigzagoon like that!" I shouted at the top of my voice, and Harry looked at me, and the Zigzagoon immediately turned towards me, with the surprised but happy expression on his face.

After seeing that it was me who shouted, he rudely replied, "I'm telling the truth, weakling! Only bad trainers would train a Zigzagoon!"

"Oh, is that so?" Saying that, I walked towards Zigzagoon and said, "I'm sorry, Harry, I'm the bad trainer you're talking about. Zigzagoon, wanna join my team? I would like you to give your best in my team."

Zigzagoon's eyes sparkled at my invitation, and I threw a Pokéball at him. 1...2...3... Alright, Zigzagoon is caught with succession! _So, I'll take that as a yes, Zigzagoon._

Then, I sent out Zigzagoon and asked, "Why don't I call you Ziggs?" The male Tiny Raccoon Pokémon nodded, and I smiled at him, and Surfer welcomed Ziggs to the team too.

Harry was obviously mad after hearing my words, and he replied back smirked, "You better make sure to train this...weak Pokémon well! Hopefully it won't lose every time! Hahahahaha..." I was obviously upset at his words, _he still insults Ziggs at all causes! Can he not stop?_

"I pretty sure that's enough, Harry," Disc helped me again this time. "We shall go our separate ways now, shouldn't we, Harry?"

"Humph, alright then! See you all, weaklings!" He then ran away after giving us an arrogant look. We sighed, but we tried not to put that in mind.

After that, we walked around the route again several times before reaching Oldale Town. We even got the Pokédex entry for Poochyena and Wurmple.

Then, we reached Oldale Town. It was a small town but it has everything it needed: PokéCentre, Pokémart, and a few houses too.

We were about to go around the city when suddenly, Disc spoke to us.

"Ermm...guys, I have a suggestion. I think we should separate our ways." We were shocked by his suggestion, but he quickly explained, "If we keep exploring together, we will all be experiencing the same thing, it would not be fun. So, we should part our ways so we can explore different things and when we meet again, we can share our wonderful experiences to each other!"

We all thought that Disc was right and we decided to part our ways after we left Oldale.

Suddenly, we saw a big crowd in the middle of the town. Then, we saw a small building over there with a new poster on the wall of the building. Many people were slowly walking into the building while pushing each other.

"So... you guys wanna check it out?" They nodded at my suggestion, and we go towards the building. Little did I know that this decision will change my life with my Pokémon...

* * *

 **That's it for Chapter 2! What will Lows and his friends find in the building? What will Lows do after seperating with his friends? Find out next time!**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:  
Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature, Moves: Tackle, Growl  
Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, Moves: Tackle**

 **Questions of the day:**

 **Do you think Lows' attitude with** **Pokémon is good?**

 **What will they find in the building? (For readers ahead, please don't spoil for others!)**


	4. Hoenn 3

**Lows reached Hoenn and met a nice guy in Slateport that took them to Littleroot. Then, they found their rival, Harry insulting a Zigzagoon. Lows felt bad about the Zigzagoon and let the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon, or Ziggs to his team. Then, they saw a crowd going on in a building in Oldale and decided to check it out. What will they find?**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - A New Member, A New Friendship**

We walked towards the building where everyone was there. Outside of the building, we finally got to look at the poster after a lot of pushing. In the poster, it stated:

 **Talk on How to be a Great Trainer for Starters!**

 **Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.**

 **Venue: Oldale Hall**

 **Secret Contribution Prizes in the end!**

 **Be sure to join us!**

 _Hmm... I wonder what is the secret prize? Can't wait to find out! Through the talk, we can also learn how to be a great trainer too! Maybe we should join before leaving Oldale.._ I excitedly thought.

"Why don't we join the talk? It should be interesting," Their eyes sparkled upon hearing my suggestion, I knew that they were interested as well. So without thinking twice, we went into the hall and registered for the talk.

When the time was 3:00 p.m, we went to the place where the talk was held, and we waited until the host appeared.

The host started to speak with fluent English. "Welcome to the talk on how to become a great trainer! I'm your host, Fred Jones! Now, may we please welcome the speaker for today, and the one and only **Hoenn Champion, Brendan!** May we welcome him with a round of applause!"

We all clapped loudly, some even cheered with joy. Then, a boy that was about 15 years old, with a bandana on his head, came up to the stage and waved his hands to the audience politely.

Then, he gave a talk on how to become successful in our Pokémon journey. He said, "I remembered the time I started my journey, I didn't know what to do at all. But, a friend of mine helped me a lot. She might not be the best battler, but she loves her Pokémon a lot. Trust me, if you treat your Pokémon with love and care, you will succeed. Maybe in battling, maybe in contests, maybe something else. But the main point is, love is the thing you need to strengthen your bond with your Pokémon."

Then, he told us about some tips on caring and loving your Pokémon and how can they really feel the love by their trainer. Lastly, he ended off with a funny sentence, "Alright, that's it for today! I assumed that some of you here are challenging the league? Well, I'll be expecting a few to challenge me, but I hope you won't cry and go home saying, 'Wah, Mommy! I got bullied by the champion!' when I beat you!" He spoke in quite a funny way, and we all laughed and clapped at his joke.

Suddenly, I heard another voice that had a different opinion, "Humph... Looks like the champion is also a weakling that only likes Pokémon..."

 _Well, well, isn't that Harry... again! Why in every place, I have to see him!_ "Just another waste of time here to hear about nonsense. I can just defeat him easily after I've trained enough..." Without realizing I was here, he just continued blurting his thoughts.

 _Arghh, please let me stop hearing his voice!_ Suddenly, I heard the host, Fred spoke again. "Thanks to Brendan for giving us this amazing talk! Now, the moment everyone has been waiting for... The secret prize giving session! The secret prize is... A brand new Pokétalk for everyone here!" Everyone reacted to his sentence: some are shocked, some are curious about the Pokétalk.

"So, Pokétalk is a great item that allows you to communicate with your Pokémon. Pokémon's cries will be translated into human language. This is certainly a great invention after months of testing! This will definitely strengthen the bond between you and your Pokémon if you understand them, isn't that right, everyone?" Everyone cheered happily, agreeing his words.

 _An item that allows you to communicate with Pokémon... This is amazing! Can't wait to get one.._ "Everyone gets a Pokétalk each, and it is free! Please go to the doorway of the hall to get a Pokétalk before leaving. Thank you all so much for lending your ears in this talk! Goodbye!"

Everyone excitedly ran to the doorway to get a Pokétalk before leaving. We three walked slowly to the doorway, not wanting to push anyone. Suddenly, I heard Harry mumbling.. again!

"Who needs a Pokétalk anyways? I don't need to know their feelings, I just want them to defeat every trainer! I'll just go off without this stupid item..." I became upset upon hearing his words, but I sighed and tried not to listen to his mumbling.

When we reached the doorway, I saw that there were still tons of Pokétalk with a worker there. _Why the rush anyways? There's still tons of Pokétalk left!_ Anyways, we walked towards the man and asked, "Can we get a Pokétalk for each of us?" He nodded and handed us a Pokétalk for each of us. We thanked him and went outside of the hall.

"So... I guess we shall part our ways now since we're leaving Oldale now... We shall try the item later, and we should always call each other with our Pokégear to make sure everyone's okay." We all agreed to Disc, and we bid farewell to each other and part ways. But, I knew that we will definitely meet each other again in our journeys...

* * *

"So... the next town I'm going to reach is Petalburg... I shall pass this route... Route 102? I guess so, and I shall reach the destination! Before that, maybe I should test the Pokétalk on my Pokémon." Saying that, I took my Pokétalk out. It was shaped like a Pokédex, but yellow in colour. There was also earphones for me to plug in and listen the translation myself. What a cool product!

"Alright, I guess everything's set up... So, hey guys, I think I can understand your language now, how are you two doing?" Surfer spoke first. "Hiya Lows! Finally, the first human who can understand me!" Then secondly, Ziggs spoke. "Hey... Lows... I wanna say thank you for letting me to be in your team... I really appreciated that. no other trainer ever treated me this nice before." After that, he lowered his head, I guess that's the way that Ziggs bows his head. I replied, "No need to thank me Ziggs, that guy is really rude to you, so I definitely should stand up for you. Besides, I believe that you have potential of battling. Now, let's go guys, to Petalburg City!" They all cheered, and just about when we were going to Route 102, a guy tapped my shoulder, making me turned my head back.

I saw a tall-looking guy with light steel blue eyes and hair, wearing a charcoal jacket with two black zig-zag stripes, a white undershirt and a red tie, looking like a nice gentleman. "Hey, young trainer! I assume that you're having fun with the Pokétalk! My name is **Steven** , and I'm the former Hoenn Champion before Brendan defeated me." He bowed politely, and I bowed back too, but something was really stuck in my mind when I first saw him.

 _This doesn't feel like my first time seeing him... I've definitely saw him somewhere before! Maybe in TV?_ Steven didn't seem to know what I was thinking, Steven continued, "This product is made by the Devon Corporation, the company that has years of experience of making new products. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it. Why don't we exchange Pokégear numbers? I would like to see your progress in the future."

I nodded with a smile, and we exchanged numbers, and also, I didn't forget to introduce myself too. Later, he left by using his Pokémon to fly. "Brave, let's fly back to Rustboro!" A Pokémon with a weird structure as a flying type, flew away immediately after Steven rided on its back. I didn't have enough time to scanned on it. Oh well!

* * *

Later, I went to Route 102 and battled some trainers. They might be tough, but I'd narrowly defeated them. Surfer and Ziggs helped me a lot in the battles. Ziggs really had the potential to battle. During our training, Surfer learned Bubble, which was very useful for some battles, and Ziggs also learned Growl too. Everything was going pretty well here.

When I reached Petalburg City, modern houses were around the entire city. This was certainly amazing. Then, I saw a boy with tea-green hair, who looks a little bit frail, but I can see that he was about the same age as the champion, Brendan. He had a Pokémon with swords on his arms beside him. I quickly scanned the Pokémon and it said, [Gallade, the Blade Pokémon. It is one of the evolved form of Kirlia and one of the final evolved form of Ralts. Because it can sense what its foe is thinking, its attacks burst out first, fast, and fierce.]

Then, the trainer saw that I was curious with his Gallade, and he greeted me. "Hey young trainer! I'm **Wally** , the Gym Leader of Lilycove City. A few years ago, there are only 8 badges in Hoenn. But due to many newcomers, the gym badges of Hoenn increased to 10. Anyways, curious of my Gallade?"

I immediately replied. "Ermm.. Yes, Wally. I'm Lows, nice to meet you! Your Gallade certainly looks awesome!"

He replied with a grateful tone. "Well... thanks! I still remember when he is still a little Ralts five years ago. Looking at him now, I feel proud for him."

Gallade raised up his head and said, "Thanks, Wally for the compliment." He showed his pride on his face.

"Well, he just thanked you for your compliment, he must've liked you a lot and you two have a strong bond together." I was envious of their strong bond, but happy for them too.

"Is that so? I guess you have the Pokétalk too. Speaking with you makes me really happy. Why don't we exchange Pokégear numbers and I'll give you a gift!" While I was giving him my number, he gave me a small chip and insert it in my Pokégear.

"Now, this should do the trick. This chip installs a software that you can see the Pokémon team of a trainer if you have his or her number. Pretty useful, isn't it?" I thanked him with joy, and I checked my two friends' Pokémon to see how are they doing.

 _Wow, looks like Cassie still has her Charmander only... What about Disc? Oh, Disc has another Pokémon in his team besides Leafy! It looks likes a seagull. I wonder what it is..._

"Maybe you shouldn't look at my team yet, just so in the future when we battle, we will battle with our instincts. Now, why don't I take you to a place?" I nodded, and I followed him as he walked.

Then, I realized that he was taking me back to Route 102. He then took me to a patch of wild grass. _Why does he want me to follow him here though?_ Just when I was curious, he spoke up, explaining.

"So... this is the patch of grass where I caught my first Pokémon, who was Ralts, or now Gallade, but I just liked to call him Blade. Maybe, just maybe with the help of another, you can catch a Ralts like me. Yeah, I got it from the help of Brendan, the champion."

I was surprised but happy that he was willing to help me to add a new member. _I just hoped that it works though... I want a Gallade too!_

Just when I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard rustling in the grass. Wally and I looked at the direction. And there it is. A Ralts.

 _I cannot believe it... I cannot believe it! A rare Pokémon would be here, right in front of my eyes!_ I scanned it with my Pokédex first. [Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. It is highly attuned to the emotions of people and Pokémon. It hides if it senses hostility.]

I heard the Ralts asked. "Is that a trainer with joy and a pure heart? Finally..." Oh yeah, it can sense the emotions of people. "I would like to join your team. Would you like me to join you?"

I nodded my head with happiness. Just when I took a Pokéball out from my bag and was about to catch it, another trainer suddenly appeared with a Pokéball on his hand. "A Ralts! This is totally mine!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm catching this Ralts already." I tried to explain nicely but he yelled back at me. "No you're not! It is in the wild, so anyone can catch it! I know, why don't we battle? Winner gets the Ralts."

 _Okay... Another battle... He does look tough though, hopefully I can beat him..._ "Let's do a Double Battle then! Go, Poochyena and Electrike!" He then threw two Pokéballs, letting two fierce Pokémon out. I recognized Poochyena, but I didn't know what the other Pokémon is. I quickly scanned it with my Pokédex. [Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon. It stores static electricity in its fur for discharging. It gives off sparks if a storm approaches.]

 _Surfer is going to have the type disadvantage... Maybe I should use the strategy that everyone uses a lot... Let's do this!_ I sent out Surfer and Ziggs, and immediately commanded, "Surfer, use Bubble on both Pokémon and Ziggs, use Growl to lower their attack!"

"Alright, Lows!" Surfer and Ziggs both issued my command.

"Not if we attack first! Electrike and Poochyena, use Howl and Electrike, use Quick Attack after the move!"

Both Pokémon howled loudly, and Electrike immediately rushed forward at lightning speed while yelling, "Yeah, a new target to get zapped!" After getting its direction right, it attacked Surfer, unaffected by Ziggs' Growl. Surfer blowed bubbles from his mouth, but he still took damage from the attack when Electrike just ran straight into the bubbles.

"Surfer, Tackle that Electrike and Ziggs, keep using Growl!" Ziggs keep growling to reduce the attack of his opponents, while Surfer tackled Electrike, but the trainer remained standing without saying a word, with a slight grin on his face.

Then, I saw sparks emitting from Surfer's body. The paralysis prevented Surfer from standing up. I was shocked, but I realized it was the effect of Static. _Electrike has the ability of Static! Oh no!_

"Now, since that Squirtle is unable to stand, Electrike, finish Squirtle with Spark!" Electrike charge a bolt of electricity on its hands, just when it's about to attack Surfer, I heard Ziggs growled angrily and rushed to the Electrike without my command.

Ziggs lowered his head while running towards Electrike, and he used his head and hit the Electrike, making it flinched. I realized that Ziggs learned Headbutt, which has a chance to make the foe flinch.

I noticed that Electrike was getting tired and I felt that we had a chance now. "Surfer, use Bubble and Ziggs, use Headbutt on Poochyena!" While the other trainer commanded, "Poochyena, use Tackle on Squirtle and Electrike, use Spark on Zigzagoon!"

All four Pokémon used their attacks. I saw instead of blowing bubbles, Surfer spit out a small stream of water towards the Electrike. Then I knew that he learned Water Gun. Electrike couldn't dodge the attack as it was charging its attack, and it got hit by the stream of water and fainted.

Then on the other side, Poochyena tried to tackle Surfer, but it stopped when he found out that Ziggs was trying to attack Poochyena. It was forced to use its attack on Ziggs while he used Headbutt on Poochyena. Both Pokémon collapsed on the ground and couldn't move, while Surfer hardly stood up, trying to ignore the paralysis.

 _Alright... I won! This is amazing, and close at the same time._ I happily thought while the trainer spoke up. "I guess you won the battle. Congratulations, I guess you can have the Ralts. Sorry, I'll leave now, goodbye!" He then ran to the PokéCentre to heal his Pokémon.

Wally walked towards me after the battle and clapped his hands. "Nicely done! You definitely have battle potential. If you trained enough, you might even defeat the Champion of Hoenn." Listening to his compliment, I blushed and smiled at him.

"Now, you should go catch that Ralts... wait, where is it?" Wally suddenly realized that the Ralts was gone, it must've teleported away.

"Oh, no... There goes my chance of getting a Ralts..." I said with an upset tone, not knowing what was going to happen next.

Just when we were upset and about to leave, I heard a weak voice calling us. "Sorry.. I just teleported away... Hope you don't mind..."

I guess it sensed hostility when the guy came. "Don't worry Ralts, I just thought you didn't like me. Would you like to join me on adventures?"

It nodded happily, and I threw a Pokéball and caught it. The Ralts is actually a female. _No Gallade for me, but nevertheless, I'll definitely take good care of her._

I sent out Ralts and asked. "Would you like a nickname? How about... Grace?" The Feeling Pokémon nodded with happiness and said, "I like it a lot. Thanks, Master. I shall do my best at all causes." I smiled at her determination, and returned her to her Pokéball.

"I guess you did a great job in catching her, Gardevoir, who is another final evolution of Ralts, is also a strong Pokémon, so you should raise her with care." Wally praised me with a smile on his face.

"Thanks a lot for bringing me here to catch Grace, Wally!" I thanked him gratefully.

"No problem. I guess you are going to challenge gyms for the Hoenn League? I'll be expecting your challenge, so I hope my new friend can beat me after he got stronger! Alright, Lows?"

"Challenge accepted, Wally! I'll battle you someday!" We all smiled at each other, and we both bid farewell and part our ways. I went to the PokéCentre and healed my Pokémon.

 _This is a promise that I'll never forget, Wally!_ I thought with determination.

* * *

 **That's it for Chapter 3 guys! Longer than the last three chapters, but nevertheless, hope you enjoyed! I tried my best in every chapter, and hopefully update as fast as possible. Be sure to review for opinions (nice ones please), favourite or follow if you enjoyed! Cya all in the next chapter :)**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Bubble, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt**

 **Grace (Ralts, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Growl, Confusion**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you like the appearance of Brendan, Steven and Wally?**

 **How do you think of the Double Battle Lows had?**


	5. Hoenn 4

**Lows and his two friends attended a talk, where they met the champion, Brendan. Then respectively, he met the former champion, Steven and the Lilycove Gym Leader, Wally. Then, with the help of Wally, he found a Ralts, but he was forced to have a Double Battle with a trainer, and he narrowly won and caught Ralts, who he named her Grace. This chapter, he's going to challenge the gym leader in Petalburg, but the gym leader didn't accept the challenge of a greenhorn trainer and wanted him to challenge other gyms first. What will Lows do?**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - The Fear Back in The Past**

After I healed up my Pokémon, I sent them out of their Pokéballs and asked, "Are you guys ready for your first gym battle in Petalburg?"

Surfer nodded with happy anticipation. "Yeah, Lows! Let's ride the waves and win!"

While Ziggs just nodded slightly and said, "The decision is with you, Lows. I'll try my best for every battle we're going to face."

While we're excited for our first gym battle, Grace suddenly said a sentence that made all of us stunned.

"Master Lows, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but... I saw many trainers getting rejected by Norman for a gym battle. I was in the grass, watching them getting rejected. So Master, he might not accept you too."

"Well, it is worth a try! If he doesn't accept, we will just go to the next city!" I try to bright up everyone's mood, but I hid my nervousness too. _What if I don't get accepted?_

Slowly, we went out of the PokéCentre and we walked towards the gym. Just when we're about to go in and ask, the door suddenly opened, and a man wearing a gym outfit appeared right in front of my eyes.

"Are you trying to challenge the gym leader? Well, I'm Norman, the Petalburg City Gym Leader. I'll see your Pokémon to see if you're qualified to challenge me." Then, he looked at my three Pokémon with a stern face, and he shooked his head.

"Nope... I'm sorry, but you cannot challenge me yet. I'm pretty sure you're a greenhorn trainer, right?" I was shocked by his words, but I nodded anyways.

"Yeah, I would not want to challenge a greenhorn trainer just yet. Why don't you get five gym badges in different cities first? Then, I think that's the time that you can challenge me."

"Al...alright then, thank you, Norman." I tried not to show that I'm upset, but he is kinda true as well. So, I left the gym without saying a word.

"Lows... are you okay? I've never seen you so sad before," Surfer worriedly asked me, as he knows that I was upset for getting rejected.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Surfer, we'll battle him one day. Now, why don't we go to the next city?" All three Pokémon nodded, and we walked to Route 104. The beach sand is so good to walk on! The footprints also stay in the place, but they disappeared very fast too. This is fun!

Shortly, we went pass Route 104 and we saw a forest that looks really simillar to Viridian Forest in Kanto. I looked at the sign beside the entrance and it said,

 **Petalburg Woods**

 **Enter at your own risk.**

That sentence immediately made me scared a little bit. _Are there many dangerous Pokémon there? What if I can't beat it?_

Looking at my scared look, Grace spoke calmly to me. "Do not fear, Master Lows, we three shall protect you at all causes." The calming tone calmed me a little bit, and I decided to be brave and walked into the forest, while my three Pokémon following me.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an abandoned place, deep inside it is a secret hideout, with a few people in the hideout, looking at the computer screens that shows the condition of Petalburg Woods.

"Well, well! Will you look at that, another trainer that is about to fall in our trap. Should we start our plan, boss?" A guy wearing a red shirt, with a "W" word on the shirt, asked his boss.

"Sure, you can start the plan now. Another trainer that is going to fall into our hands... MUAHAHAHAHAHA!" The boss evilly laughed, and the grunt pressed a button, and the plan has started, right here, right now...

* * *

I've been curious about one thing since I walked around the forest, trying to get out. _It seems like I've been through this place before. Well, forget it, Lows, now we have to focus on getting out of this place! I'm scared!_

Unfortunately, the sky has turned pitch black and I can't find the way out, so Surfer, Ziggs, Grace and I had to set a camp in the woods. Good thing I put the tents in my backpack!

"I'm scared of this place, Lows... when are we going to get out?" Surfer said out of his thoughts, as he is scared since he went through this place.

"Don't worry, everyone, we will get out of this place after the next morning comes. For now, let's prepare to go to sleep and wait for the next day.

"Alright, Lows. Surfer and I shall go to sleep. Grace has something to tell you, and after that, you two should go sleep too. Good night, Lows!" After saying that, Ziggs took Surfer into one of the tents and closed it.

"So... Grace, what is the thing that you want to say?" I politely asked the Feeling Pokémon, as I felt that she is serious about something.

"Just saying, Master Lows, but we should get out of here as soon as possible after the next morning comes. I can feel the presence of bad Pokémon. They might attack us suddenly without us noticing."

"Alright, Grace. Then we should go get some sleep quickly, and get out of here as soon as possible." Grace nodded with a smile, and went to the other two Pokémon's tent and closed it. I went to another tent and fell asleep shortly. What I didn't know is the trouble that will make me suffer a lot...

* * *

I had a dream of the bad memory again. But this time, the same incident occured right here, in Petalburg Woods. I saw many Dustox and Beautifly coming towards me with evil grins. I ran away and fell down, just like how it happened three years ago. Just when the man appeared again, my dream is cut off because I heard many cries of Pokémon outside my tent.

"Huh... what's wrong outside the tent? I better check it out..." Slowly, I opened the tent and suddenly, I saw an eye looking inside the tent. I panicked and I realised the eye belongs to the Pokémon Dustox. Then, I realized many Dustox and Beautifly outside of my tent, ready to attack me, just like the experience that I dreamt of. I got scared, but I checked their data with my Pokédex to see why they are trying to attack me.

I scanned one of the Dustox and Beautifly. [Dustox, The Poison Moth Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Cascoon and one of the final evolved forms of Wurmple. It scatters horribly toxic dust when it senses danger. They tend to gather in the glow of streetlamps at night.] [Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Silcoon and one of the final evolved forms of Wurmple. Despite its appearance, it has an aggressive nature. It attacks by jabbing with its long, thin mouth.]

 _That only shows their details, but it didn't say why they are going to attack me!_ I frustratedly thought, and they looked like they're ready to attack. I can't help but get scared looking at the huge amount of bug Pokémon. I can't call my Pokémon for help because they are still sleeping in another tent.

Just when they are going to attack me, a pink light surrounded some of the Beautifly, and they got thrown away, but for only a few metres. Then I realized the other tent was opened, and I saw my three Pokémon looking at me, grinning. Then I realized Grace just used Confusion on the Beautifly.

"We came for help, Lows!" I gratefully looked at them, while the fallen Beautifly got back up, and they got even angrier. I knew that a battle is about to take place.

I am scared because this is similar to the experience I had three years ago, but I have to be confident. Besides, I have my Pokémon with me.

"Everyone, attack the bug Pokémon with your own attacks!" They nodded and started their attacks. Surfer used Water Gun at the Butterfly, while Ziggs used Headbutt and Grace used Confusion on the Dustox. The bug Pokémon also battled them with Bug Buzz and Gust.

In the end, my Pokémon narrowly beat them, they are tired but happy that they won against them. When I thought it is over, I suddenly saw a gigantic bee-like Pokémon coming towards us, looking very mean and is about to attack us.

I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon. May appear in a swarm. Flies at violent speeds, all the while stabbing with the toxic stinger on its rear.]

I got scared by what the Pokédex explained. It looks very fierce and he pointed its stinger towards us, ready to fight. I'm not that sure if my Pokémon can battle much longer, because they are already tired from the battles earlier.

But still, I issued my command. "Guys, try your best to beat the Beedrill!"

"Alright, Lows! Let's do this!" They all used their attacks on them, but they did no effect on the Poison Bee Pokémon. It used a move called Twineedle, shooting three poisonous needles towards them. They couldn't reduce the impact, and collapsed on the ground.

The Beedrill is not satisfied yet and used Twineedle on them again. I immediately ran towards them and tried to block the needles. Instead of feeling the pain of the poisonous needles, I felt something was thrown at my direction and hit the needles, making the attack unsuccessful.

"Nosie, use Rock Throw on Beedrill!" A female trainer wearing a school uniform, issued the command at a weird looking rock Pokémon. I used my Pokédex on it. [Noespass, the Compass Pokémon. Its magnetic nose consistently faces north. Travelers check Nosepass to get their bearings."

The Beedrill tried to attack us again, but only to get hit by the falling rocks and collapsed. After the battle is over, the female trainer came towards me and asked, "Are you okay, trainer? Let me take you to the PokéCentre and heal up your Pokémon." I nodded at her suggestion, and with her help, I got out of Petalburg Woods and succesfully reached Rustboro City to heal my Pokémon.

* * *

On the other side...

"Dammit! The plan almost worked, when that Rustboro City Gym Leader showed up!" The grunt shouted in anger.

"We all know that the gym leader is strong, but that young trainer has potential too. He battled hard with his Pokémon until I have to use the Ultimate Beedrill on him." The boss said calmly.

Suddenly, he had a smirk on his face. "Interesting... interesting. I shall check on that trainer to make sure he doesn't ruin any of our plans ever again..."

* * *

Anyways, after healing my Pokémon, I thanked the trainer who saved us. "Thank you so much, ermmm... how can I call you?"

The female trainer replied nicely. "Oh, you can just call me Roxanne. I'm the gym leader in Rustboro City."

 _I'm so stupid! How can I not know that this trainer is the gym leader here! Arghh!_

"I'm sorry, Roxanne! I didn't know that you're the gym leader just now."

"Don't worry, I understand. So, I assumed that you are going to challenge me for your first badge?" I nodded as a response.

"Well, I'll be seeing you in my gym. I'm looking forward to battle you. Goodbye!" She then walked away from the PokéCentre, leaving me alone in my thoughts.

 _Looking at her Pokémon, she's probably a rock type specialist like Brock... Maybe I should check her information with my PC for more information._

Just when I'm going to use the PC, my Pokéballs suddenly shake vigorously. I can tell that they want to get out of their Pokéballs, so I let them out.

After getting out of their Pokéballs, Ziggs immediately asked, "Are you okay, Lows? Did you get hurt?"

I smiled at him as response. "Don't worry, I'm okay. The gym leader saved us and everything's fine now."

Surfer is still worried. "Lows, are you sure you don't need to have a check-up? You tried to protect us from those needles, I saw everything!"

"Oh, you saw everything... I just wanted to protect you guys, I know that you guys are too tired to battle and might be in trouble if those poisonous needles sting you all again."

Grace is grateful, but she had a question too. "Thanks, Master Lows... But I have a question. Isn't Beedrill a Pokémon in Kanto? How did it appeared here?"

That question made me started to think of the incident.

 _Yeah, Grace's right! Beedrill never appears in Hoenn, they only appear in Kanto. Why is it here in Petalburg Woods? And the huge amount of fully evolved bug type Pokémon..._

 _Something is definitely not right! And why is this incident similar to my experience three years ago?_ At this moment, I have only one thought.

 _The experience I had must have occurred here, in Petalburg Woods! This is a big clue to find the person who saved me three years ago!_

 _But, I don't think we should put that in mind for now. We have a gym battle to win!_

"Erm... Lows, are you there?" Surfer asked me, as he saw that I'm out of thought.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Surfer. For now, let's not think about this incident. Right now, we have a gym badge to get! Let's go check Roxanne's information in the PC.

"Yeah!" They all cheered and followed me to the PC.

After almost an hour of information searching, I have got some information about Roxanne.

 _Roxanne is a rock type specialist, just like what I thought. Her commonly used Pokémon is Nosepass. She always does 3 on 3 single battles with trainers. She opened this gym in order to show what she had learned in the Pokémon Trainer School. I guess I have to use all Pokémon I have to battle her. But besides Surfer, everyone else doesn't have the type advantage! What should I do?_

"So... shouldn't we train a little bit before facing the gym leader?" Ziggs asked politely.

"How about we go to the Pokémon Trainer School to study more about Pokémon battles?" They all agreed my suggestion, and we left the PokéCentre and went to the Pokémon Trainer School.

In there, I saw many notes scribbled on the blackboard. There are also printed notes for new trainers to study. I looked at the type advantages and disadvantages of Pokémon when battling. As I thought, only Surfer has the type advantage. That made me become more nervous, because I saw the way Roxanne battled with the Beedrill with tremendous skill.

 _Arghh...arghhh! What if I can't beat Roxanne? No, no, I can't give up just yet. Besides, my Pokémon will help me in the gym battle. I can tell that they really want to win too. So, don't give up, Lows!_

"Alright guys, let's go to the other routes and train. We need to try our best to beat Roxanne. Understand?" They all nodded at me, and we went and trained at another route for a few hours before going back to our room that I booked in the PokéCentre.

 _Tomorrow is the day I'll be facing Roxanne, it seems like. I really hope I can beat her. Hopefully my battle strategies would work in this one..._

In that night, I couldn't really sleep, so I watched some TV shows about Pokémon battling to learn strategies for tomorrow. I had to go to sleep at about 2 a.m. because I was too tired.

I woke up at about ten in the morning, still excited and nervous for the battle. After eating a hearty breakfast, I asked my Pokémon, "Are you guys ready for the battle?"

"You bet I am, Lows! Let's ride the waves and win!" Surfer is definitely happy to have his first gym battle."

"Despite the type disadvantage, I shall help the team at all causes," Ziggs bowed his head politely while talking.

"Master Lows, we shall do our best to beat Roxanne," Grace talked calmly to me, making me calmed down a bit. Grace always seems to have a way to calm me down.

"Alright guys, let's go." I returned them back to their Pokéballs, and left the PokéCentre.

After a bit of walking, I found the Rustboro City Gym. Just when I'm unsure whether I should open the door, the door opened from the inside. I saw Harry, who had a stone-shaped gym badge on his shirt.

"Oh, it's you, weakling! I got the Stone Badge already. Jealous?" He said with his usual arrogant voice.

"Well, I'll try to get it today, too. So don't worry about it." I replied him with a somewhat calm tone.

"Well, alright weakling, hope your Pokémon don't die in the gym battle! Hahahahahaha..." He then ran away from the gym, and his words made me more nervous.

 _Don't put that guy's words in mind, Lows! You have to believe in yourself, and your Pokémon too!_ I thought to myself confidently.

 _Alright, let's do this!_ I took a deep breath, and opened the door...

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter guys! Will Lows beat Roxanne or end up in defeat? Find out next time!**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature, Moves: Tackle, Growl, Bubble, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, Moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt**

 **Grace (Ralts, Female) Calm Nature, Moves: Growl, Confusion**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think the villain team is up to?**

 **Is Lows getting closer of the mystery of the trainer who saved him?**

 **Will Lows beat Roxanne or end up in defeat?**


	6. Hoenn 5

**Lows got rejected by Norman for a gym battle because he thinks that Lows is a greenhorn trainer. Then, he went into Petalburg Woods to get to Rustboro. But everything goes wrong when a mysterious villain team tries to get Lows with their plan, which it fail when Roxanne, the gym leader in Rustboro defeats the Ultimate Beedrill. Then, Lows is going to battle Roxanne for the first gym badge. Can he do it?**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Breaking the Rocks, Defeating the Odds**

I took a deep breath, and opened the door. And what I'm seeing right now is a battlefield covered with rocks, a black screen with nothing currently displayed and a huge arena seat for people to watch the battle.

And on the other side, I saw Roxanne standing firm in a corner, she saw me and said, "Oh, aren't you that trainer in Petalburg Woods? I've been looking forward to battle you, and I pretty sure you do, too?"

"Yes, Roxanne. I'll defeat you and win that badge!" I replied confidently, trying to hide my nervousness.

"Oh, I like your determination! Well, the guests should be here soon..." Roxanne's words made me confused. _Guests? What guests?_

Suddenly, I saw many children wearing school uniforms running into the gym and going up the arena seat to find the best place to watch the battle. That made my heart pound even more, as I'm going to battle with that many audience.

"Alright students, you all will be here watching us battle to learn more battle strategies from me and..." She stopped, doesn't seemed to know my name.

"The name's Lows, Roxanne." I told my name to Roxanne, and she nodded with a smile politely for giving her my name.

"Alright, learn from Lows too, everyone!" All the students clapped their hands and cheered loudly as they are very excited for the upcoming battle.

"Alright, looks like the gym leader and the challenger is all here, so let me state the rules!" A professional-looking referee adjusted his glasses, and told us the rules.

"So, this battle will be a three on three single battles. and the challenger is able to switch his Pokémon and have the first move too. The winner is decided when the opponent's three Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you understand and agree the rules, Lows from Kanto?" I nodded and gulped nervously.

"Alright, the gym leader gets to send out her first Pokémon first! Roxanne, please send out your first Pokémon." The gym leader nodded in response, and pulled out a Pokéball from her belt.

"It's time to roll, Rockie! Come out now!" A Pokémon looking like a small rock appeared from the Pokéball. It send out its cries fiercely and is ready to battle.

I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. Its round form makes it easy to pick up. Some people have used them to hurl at each other in a snowball fight.]

"Well, well, not a bad choice at all. What Pokémon will Lows choose?" A voice appeared in a corner that no one really noticed, it appeared that the voice came from the former champion, Steven. He had a gigantic Pokémon by his side, and he replied him with a deep and calm voice.

"He has Zigzagoon, Squirtle and Ralts from what I see... I pretty sure he would choose the one with the type disadvantage for a start." The former champion nodded with a smile, agreeing his Pokémon's thoughts.

 _I guess, I'm choosing you. You can do it, beat that Geodude!_ Thinking that, I took the Pokéball I wanted and threw it.

The red light beamed as usual and inside it is Grace, the Ralts. She growled calmly while smiling towards me. I gave her a smile as a support too.

Suddenly, the black screen above the battlefield displayed the images of Grace and Rockie. Each Pokémon's image show their trainer's face at the upper right side of each image. There's a **"VS"** word between the two images, showing that they are going to battle. _The visuals are amazing!_

"Interesting choice as a start, Lows, let's see what move will you use first?"

"We shall use the usual tactic. Grace, use Growl to lower Rockie's attack!" The Feeling Pokémon nodded and started growling towards Rockie, lowering its attack.

"Well, Lows currently knows what he is doing. For a Pokémon that uses physical attacks, Growl will be a pain for them." Steven looked at the battle and slightly grinned at Lows' performance.

"Not a bad move at all, Lows! Rockie, use Rock Throw on Grace after getting your direction right!" The Rock Pokémon followed her commands and started throwing many rocks at Grace.

"Grace, stay calm! Use Confusion to move the rocks as a weapon to attack Rockie!" Immediately, Grace closed her eyes and focused to move the rocks. The planned worked as the rocks changed their direction and hit Rockie instead. Roxanne smiled at me as a praise for the strategy.

"Rockie, fight through the pain and use Rock Tomb on Grace by surrounding her with rocks!" The Rock Pokémon nodded and said with a deep voice, "Finally, the ultimate move!" And she started throwing boulders that are huge towards Grace and surrounded her.

 _Oh no, Grace can't get out of there! Maybe the move that she learned yesterday might work..._ Thinking that, I shouted towards Grace, "Use Double Team and create illusions to move the rocks!"

Grace nodded and created many illusions of her, and they all used Confusion on the rocks and moved them away from the real Grace. I was happy that it worked, but I also realized Grace is tired because of focusing too much. Rockie is also tired too, but she tried not to show it.

"Grace, use Confusion and throw Rockie to the air!"

"Rockie, use Rock Throw towards Grace, full power!"

"This one last move should determine who's moving on and who's going down..." Steven said to himself.

Grace focused one more time and threw Rockie to the air. While she's in the air, Rockie prepared the rocks and threw them towards Grace and hit her, forming a huge dust that makes us unable to see the results. After the dust has faded, I saw Grace still standing, panting while Rockie is on the ground, unable to move.

"Rockie is unable to battle! Grace wins! Roxanne, please choose your second Pokémon." When the referee said that, I realized the word **"FAINTED"** is added into Rockie's image on the screen, meaning that Rockie is unable to battle.

I was happy that I won the first battle, but I knew that it is going to be a lot harder.

"Go, Hardie! It's time to roll!" She returned Rockie and threw another Pokéball, and another Geodude appeared, who looks slightly stronger than Rockie.

"Take a rest, Grace. You did well." Grace nodded, and I returned her to her Pokéball.

 _Time for the type advantage!_ I thought to myself, and took a Pokéball from my belt and threw it. Inside it is the Water Pokémon, Surfer.

"Alright, let's ride the waves and win!" Surfer yelled with happy anticipation.

"I'll smash you into pieces!" The Rock Pokémon is not giving up, too.

Both images of the Pokémon who battled earlier changed into Surfer and Hardie's images on the screen.

"Another good choice... but what is going to happen if Surfer is down? Interesting..." Steven is very interested about what is going to happen next.

 _Surfer learned a new move yesterday, that should be useful in some way... Let's start off with..._

"Surfer, use the Bubble and Water Gun combo!" Surfer nodded, and started the strategy that we discussed earlier.

Surfer blowed bubbles towards Hardie, making her unable to see clearly. Just then, Surfer quickly spit out a stream of water towards Hardie, making the Rock Pokémon take a serious amount of damage.

The students are shocked by my battling potential and cheered at me. Roxanne nodded her head with a grin too, I knows that she's going to do something that I least expected, so I prepared for her commands on her Pokémon.

"Hardie, use Rollout by curling yourself and bump into Surfer, fast too!" Hardie immediately rolled herself into a big boulder and tried to crush Surfer.

"Surfer, dodge the attack!" Surfer jumped high to dodge the attack, but when he is about to land, the boulder turned backwards towards Surfer and hit him.

 _Oh no, the boulder will get bigger if this doesn't stop! It's time to use the move!_

"Surfer, use Withdraw to reduce the impact!" Surfer immediately withdraw himself into his shell to prevent the boulder from hitting strong shell didn't only reduce the impact of Rollout, it even hit the boulder back to its side, making the Rock Pokémon stopped, and she is getting tired too. I also saw that the Rollout also did some damage to Surfer too, even if the shell reduced the impact a bit.

 _This might be one of the last move, I have to think... I have an idea!_

"Surfer, use Water Gun and ride on the stream of water, then use Bubble on Hardie!" Surfer was shocked at first, but he nodded and started doing what I commanded.

"Hardie, don't let them get close by using Rock Tomb, full power!" Hardie threw big boulders towards the direction where Surfer is going to spit out the stream of water.

Surfer spit out the stream of water and ride on it. He is forced to bumped into the rocks, taking some damage, but he is still fine. Then, he went close to Hardie and blow out bubbles with full power.

"Fight through the pain and use Rock Throw, one last time!" Roxanne commanded, and Hardie used Rock Throw on Surfer, trying to ignore the bubbles.

Both Pokémon battled hard, and Surfer got hit by the rocks and collapsed onto the ground, while Hardie got hit by the super effective bubble attack and collapsed too. All the students, Roxanne and I were shocked by the result.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. Roxanne and Lows, please choose your next Pokémon!" The referee yelled with a loud voice. The word **"FAINTED"** is added into both images on the screen.

"Well, never saw that coming between those two," Steven said to his Pokémon.

"Roxanne's only Pokémon left is Nosepass, what will Lows choose? Ralts or Zigzagoon..." Steven's Pokémon is still unsure that what Lows will choose.

 _This is still anyone's game_ , I thought. _Let's do this, for the badge!_

"Come out now, Grace!" Grace appeared again in the battlefield, and her image is shown on the screen again.

"Nosie, time to end this!" Roxanne threw her last Pokéball and the Compass Pokémon appeared on the screen.

 _Alright, this should be the toughest part of the battle. Let's try our best!_

"Grace, use Double Team to make several illusions!" Grace closed her eyes and created many illusions again. When we thought that Nosie is unable to determine where the real Grace is, Roxanne confidently smiled, making me scared.

"Nosie, use your nose to determine the direction of Grace and hit her with Rock Throw!" The Compass Pokémon's nose started to change direction, and when she found where Grace is, she shot many small rocks towards Grace.

 _Oh no, she found where Grace is by using her nose! She is going to faint if those hit her! Well, it's time for Grace to help Ziggs for the next battle..._

"Grace, fight through the pain and use Growl to reduce Nosie's attack!" Grace growled fiercely towards Nosie, reducing her attack while Grace is getting hit by the rocks. The word **"FAINTED"** is shown at Grace's image, and she is unable to battle. I ran to her and luckily, she only suffered minor injuries.

"Are you okay, Grace? Sorry for getting you hurt," She nodded to me, and replied tiredly.

"Don't...don't worry, Master Lows... I shall be fine...after a rest." Knowing that she is going to faint again, I quickly returned her to her Pokéball.

"This battle has to come to an end, Roxanne! Let's win this, Ziggs!" I threw Ziggs' Pokéball out, and the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon appeared on the screen, growling fiercely as he is ready to avenge his teammate.

"Why did Lows keep Ziggs as his last Pokémon for battle? This should be interesting, but Lows may win this if he play this smart." Steven said to himself, thinking what is going to happen next.

All the students were shocked at my last Pokémon, as they thought that I'll keep the best at the battle, which is true, because for me, Ziggs can do it!

"Ziggs, use Headbutt on Nosie!" Ziggs lowered its head and rushed to Nosie, and hit her with his head, but Nosie barely took any damage and didn't flinch either. I got a little scared, but I have to trust Ziggs for this battle. _Besides, I still have one secret weapon to use... I just needed the plan to work..._

"Nosie, use Rock Throw on Ziggs, full power!" Nosie issued the command and throw rocks just like her usual way at Ziggs.

"Ziggs, dodge and use Growl!" Ziggs skillfully dodge the rocks and growled fiercely at Nosie. I knew that he would dodge it as he is very fast in movement.

 _Ziggs is making Nosie really tired. I can feel it! Just a few more moves, and our plan should work... Not the move just yet, though!_

Meanwhile, Roxanne commanded again, with the confident grin still on her face. "Nosie, use Rock Tomb to surround Ziggs!"

After the huge boulders surrounded Ziggs, I took the risk. "Ziggs, stick to our plan! Use Headbutt on the rocks to get yourself out!"

Ziggs lowered his head and knocked one of the rocks down, and took some damage too, but he is far from giving up.

I realized that both Pokémon are panting, I have a feeling that this battle is going to end soon. _I think it might be time to use the secret weapon in a second, but would it work? I hope so..._

"Looks like Nosie is getting tired. Time to end this! Sorry Lows, Nosie, head on head with Ziggs using Tackle!" Nosie rushed forward to Ziggs and is about to tackle him, and I think it's _finally time to use the secret weapon!_

"Ziggs, you know what to do! Plan activated!" Ziggs nodded and started to wait for Nosie to come. Roxanne's confident smile disappeared when she finally knows what I am going to do.

When Nosie has came close enough, Ziggs suddenly use his paws and fiercely punched Nosie. The impact is strong and it is super effective against the Compass Pokémon. Nosie with a few cracks on her body tried to stand still, but after a few seconds, Nosie couldn't stand still and fell onto the ground, unable to move.

The referee announced, "Nosie is unable to battle! The winner is Lows, the challenger from Kanto and his Pokémon, Ziggs, Surfer and Grace!"

Then, the word **"FAINTED"** appeared on Nosie's image, the word **"WINNER"** has appeared on Ziggs' image, meaning that Ziggs and I have won the battle.

 _I cannot believe it... I cannot believe it! I've won my first badge!_ I happily thought, and yeah, the move that Ziggs used is **Rock Smash** , I don't know when did he learn that but when I realized that he learnt it, I figured out that it could be the best move for the battle.

"Alright... I accept the result. Nice job, Lows. You and your Pokémon battled well, and you have a good strategy and a strong bond with your Pokémon. You're worthy for the Stone Badge." She handed me a badge, looking like a boulder. The students clapped and cheered for me.

I took the badge and thanked Roxanne. "Thanks, Roxanne. I really had fun in the battle."

Roxanne smiled at me. "Yup, I did too. But be careful for the other gym leaders, they are definitely a lot tougher than me. Why don't we exchange Pokégear numbers? I would like a rematch soon." I agreed, and we switch numbers before we bid farewell to each other.

"Well, looks like Lows did well on this one. Don't you think?" Steven talked to his Pokémon, with a smile on his face.

"I guess that's ok, but we can do a lot better. Now, we should go back to Devon, Steven."

Steven agreed to his Pokémon and said, "Yup, that's a good choice, I don't want Lows to see that I'm watching him too. Let's go." After saying that, they went out of the door secretly, without anyone noticing.

 _I still cannot believe I won my first gym badge!_ After healing my Pokémon, I got them out of their Pokéballs and praised them for their good job. "Nicely done, everyone! You all did a great job. Now, shall we go to the next city for our next gym badge?"

"Yes! Let's go!" We all cheered happily, and went to the next route. Little do I know that I will be seeing the sadness of many Pokémon soon...

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter! What will happen when they go to the next route? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Growl, Bubble, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Ralts, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How is the gym battle between Lows and Roxanne?**

 **What will Lows find to see the sadness of Pokémon next chapter? (Readers ahead, please don't spoil!)**


	7. Hoenn 6

**Last chapter, Lows had his first gym battle with the Rustboro City Gym Leader, Roxanne, with Steven secretly watching the battle. In the end, Lows managed to worked on his plan properly and defeated Roxanne, getting his first badge. In the next route he is going, he saw a small house and went into it, only to see a shocking thing. What will Lows see?**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - The Sadness of Abandoned Pokémon**

I got all my Pokémon out of their Pokéballs to walk with me through Route 116 to reach Rusturf Tunnel for our next destination, Verdanturf Town. After that, I am going to challenge the next gym leader in Mauville, Wattson. _I know that everyone is going to battle Brawly first, but I didn't know any other way to go there! Might as well just board a ship in Slateport to Dewford after getting some gym badges..._

Anyways, the leisure walk with my Pokémon is pretty nice. On the way, I talked with my Pokémon about strategies for future battles, the battle we had in Rustboro Gym, and even some nonsense joke that made us all chuckled a bit. In the middle of Route 116, I suddenly saw a small house that looks very unusual to be in the middle of the route, so I decided to check it out.

Outside of the house, there is a sign saying "Pokémon Adoption Centre". I got curious and asked my Pokémon, "Wanna check out this place to see other Pokémon?" They nodded, agreeing my suggestion, and I knocked the door politely.

Shortly, the door opened slowly and an old man appeared right in front of my eyes. He is almost the same height as me, and has white hair and a white moustache. He politely asked with a smile, "How are you doing, new visitor? Wanting to check out the Pokémon in the Pokémon Adoption Centre?"

I nodded at him, and he said, "Well, good, good! I shall take you around this place. It's small, but I hope you don't mind..." I shooked my head, meaning that I don't really mind.

Then, he took me to a room in the house where I saw many Pokémon playing around with each other. Their heads turned towards me when they saw that a new vistor is coming. I blushed at the sudden attention, and the old man explained. "Don't worry, they are just surprised about another visitor. By the way, my name's Jasper. What about you?"

"Mr Jasper, my name is Lows, and these are my Pokémon, Surfer, Ziggs and Grace." I showed him my Pokémon, and he keep nodding when looking at them.

"You must've a strong bond with them. They seemed like they really like you." I looked at my Pokémon and smiled at them, thanking them for appreciating my company.

"Thanks, Mr Jasper, I really appreciate that. Anyways, why do you have so many Pokémon? What happened to them?"

"Oh, these Pokémon... They got abandoned by their trainers because they thought that those Pokémon are weak and unable to help them in the battlefield."

"What? Pokémon should never be treated as tools for winning! They should've care about their Pokémon, not abandoning them!" I was very angry about the irresponsible trainers.

"Well, a nice attitude you have towards Pokémon, Lows! Now, why don't you spend some time with the Pokémon here? I am sure that you would enjoy it." I nodded and thanked him, and he left the room, leaving myself with the other abandoned Pokémon.

I saw that most of them are common Pokémon that can be seen in the routes, including Zigzagoon, Poochyena and Wurmple. I also saw some rare but frail Pokémon, and I scanned them with my Pokédex.

"Ermm... yeah, hey guys, how's it going? I can understand you guys, so..." They were shocked at me saying that I understand their language, but they are also excited to talk to me, too, making me have to stop them.

"Guys, can you all be quiet a bit? I don't want the place to be too noisy." They listened to me and the room became quiet again.

"Alright, why don't you guys tell me about your experiences with your trainer, and how you got..." I immediately stopped my words. _How stupid I am to ask this hurtful question towards them!_

"I'm sorry, if anyone of you gets offended..." They shooked their head, understanding me. I thankfully looked at them.

"I guess I'll say first, Lows." A Lotad suddenly spoke. "So, a few years ago, me and my trainer were forced to have a battle near this route. I failed and got defeated. My trainer was very angry at my performance and released me... Luckily, Jasper saw everything and took me here. I am very thankful that I'm here and made so many new friends. Even though, I'm still a little sad about what my trainer did to me."

I got angry at the trainer, but I tried to not show it towards Lotad. "Don't worry Lotad, I'm sure that you'll find another better trainer." She smiled at me gratefully, thanking my comforting words.

"Now, now, now! I'm next!" Another Zigzagoon yelled loudly, and he quickly continued. "I was with my trainer, but I suddenly suffered a weird sickness that almost made me useless in battles. She didn't want to leave me, but I knew that I will be nothing even if I wanted to stay. I feel like I would bring down the team, so I left quietly myself..." His voice started to become sad. "I am very sad to leave my trainer, but I had to do it for her good. When I was about to faint at the route, Jasper found me and treated me well, making me recovered, and here I am!"

"You must've cared about that trainer a lot, you left her because you thought that it is the best for her, even if leaving her is sad. You're a really good Pokémon, Zigzagoon."

He smiled at my compliment. "Thanks, Lows. Even if it's been 2 years now, I still think of my trainer some times. I just hope that I can see her again..."

Suddenly, I heard that the door is being knocked, and Jasper opened the door. It is a young girl about the age of 17, asking Jasper, "Is there a Zigzagoon around here?"

Jasper nodded. "There are many Zigzagoon here. Find one for yourself, girl!" The girl thanked Jasper and searched for a Zigzagoon, but none of them is what she wants.

Suddenly, I saw the Zigzagoon stunned and didn't say a word. Then it made me started to think. _Could she be..._

Suddenly, the girl came into the room. She saw me and greeted me, and she asked anxiously. "Did you see my Zigzagoon? I've been searching him for 2 years!"

At this point, I am sure about the Zigzagoon she is talking about. I hold the Zigzagoon and showed him to her. She immediately hold him and sniffed for some smell. Then, she burst into tears.

"Ah, Diggy! I've been finding...finding you forever! Why did y...you left me all of a sudden? I'm glad that I found you! I'm so sorry that you left me... Wah!" She cried while talking to her old friend, Diggy. I saw that Diggy also has tears in his eyes too, as he is shocked but happy that his trainer is back.

"Now, let's go home, Diggy. I have so much to talk to you..." She stopped crying and happily said to Diggy. When the trainer is walking away while holding Diggy, Diggy blinked an eye towards me, as a sign of thanking me. I waved my hands and tried not to burst into tears, as I was touched by the scene. The other Pokémon in the centre also send out their cries as a goodbye too. Diggy also send his cries to us, which the Pokétalk translated into: "Goodbye friends! I will definitely visit you all again! Farewell!"

After the touching scene is over, I realized that my Pokémon are crying with happiness too, and I shooked my head with a smile.

"Oh guys... Didn't I told you all to control yourselves?" They replied me back with a good reason. "Well, we can't hold it! The scene is just too happy and touching! You think so too, right Lows?" I nodded my head, agreeing them.

"Well, anyways, I want to talk about my experience too," A Poochyena sudden appeared in front of me. "I remember that a trainer released me after he lost in a battle. Not because that I'm weak, it's because that he thinks that he's the one who is weak. Therefore, he released me because he didn't want to hold me back. But the thing is, I really wanna be with him..." He said in a sad tone, made me felt sympathy for him.

"Don't worry, Poochyena, he did it because he knows that he is not good enough to take care of you. When he is good enough, he will definitely find you." He thanked me for my words of encouragement.

When all the Pokémon are talking about their experiences, I suddenly saw a Pokémon sitting around the corner of the room, lonely. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. It quickly scales even vertical walls. It senses humidity with its tail to predict the next day's weather.]

I went to it and asked, "Is something wrong? You can tell me."

Then, the Treecko said with a sad tone. "Lows, is there really no one that wants me? I feel very lonely all these years..."

I replied back with a comfortable voice. "That's not true, somebody definitely wants you, just wait for the right time to come."

The Treecko suddenly burst into tears. "If that's the case, why did my owner abandoned me? Why..."

I am very sad for Treecko, and I tried to hold back my tears. "Don't...don't worry, Treecko, maybe he or her just lost you accidentally! It...it will be fine..."

The Wood Gecko Pokémon still continued crying. "I accept it! I accept the fact that no one likes a weak Pokémon like me! No one..."

I couldn't hold back my tears anymore, and hugged the male Treecko. I thought of the sadness of these Pokémon here, and the irreponsible trainer makes me very angry, and they made me think of the bullies that used to tease me that I'm frail or weak in school. _I just hate them so much..._

After parting with Treecko, I asked Jasper, "Can...can I get a Pokémon here, Mr Jasper?"

Jasper happily replied, "Sure! They would really like to be with a nice attitude trainer like you."

Then, I went back to Treecko and asked, "Well, Treecko, you see, didn't I just told you about someone that definitely wants you?" He nodded in confusion.

"Well, I think the person is me. Do you want to join my team?" He gasped in surprise and happiness, and after a few seconds, he nodded his head with determination.

"Why don't I call you Woody, since you are a Wood Gecko Pokémon? I hope you like it." He nodded, agreeing my suggestion for his nickname. I threw my Pokéball and caught him. I bid farewell to my new Pokémon friends here before leaving, but I knew that I will see them again.

When I walked out of the room, Jasper is outside, waiting for me. After he found out that I walked out of there, he immediately said, "Oh, Lows, looks like you chose Treecko! Not a bad choice at all! I hope that you and him will have fun in your journey." I sent out Woody, and I thanked Jasper for his words.

Before we left, Jasper patted Woody's head and said, "Treecko, or Woody now, be sure to stay happy in your journey. You can always come back to visit your friends." He nodded with tears, and we waved our hands and said goodbye to the Pokémon Adoption Centre. Little do I know that there is a guy watching us this whole time...

* * *

When Lows and his new Pokémon, Woody walked out of the Pokémon Adoption Centre, Harry was watching the entire thing happen. He is mad, but it is because of Lows choosing the Pokémon that he finally found after he lost Treecko 5 years ago. Flashbacks suddenly appeared in Harry's brain...

He remembers that when he was 5, he saw trainers going around with their Pokémon, and immediately asked his father, who is a gym leader, for a Pokémon. His father didn't disappoint him, as after hours of talking, he got a Treecko from Prof. Birch. Harry was definitely very happy.

They almost went everywhere together, and do everything together. Treecko was his best friend. Everything went well until an incident happened 5 years ago, when he was 6.

He still remembers everything: He was walking with Treecko, when a man suddenly asked for the direction to a place. Harry knows where the place is, so he left Treecko and kindly explained to the man. After he got back to Treecko, he didn't find him anywhere. Harry and his father looked everywhere, but the result is not good at all: The Wood Gecko Pokémon cannot be found. He thought that he was gone forever until this happened. He definitely knew that the Pokémon Lows picked is the one and only Treecko.

After the incident happened, Harry completely changed into another person. After he grew up and got his first Pokémon before going to Kanto, he had already decided one thing: Never have any good relationships with his Pokémon. He did that for a reason: He didn't want to feel sad when he has to leave his Pokémon, just like when he lost Treecko.

Unfortunately, that mind of his has changed him into a heartless trainer that only wants strong Pokémon and didn't care about his Pokémon. His Pokémon didn't feel his love to them, even the people around him don't understand him, not knowing that there is a backstory of Harry that made him do all of these.

When he transfered his Pokémon in Kanto, he had no sad feelings at all. He thought that his mind is right and he continued doing it. After that, he immediately asked Prof. Birch in the PC...

 **Harry: Professor, can you transfer a starter Pokémon to my PC? I don't want to wait any longer.**

 **Prof. Birch: Well, alright Harry, what Pokémon do you want?**

 **Harry: I would like a Mudkip. It is the toughest out of all three.**

 **Prof. Birch: I thought you would choose... never mind, alright Harry, I'll transfer a Mudkip to your PC.**

After a few minutes, he opened his PC and a Mudkip appeared in the PC. He immediately moved the Mudkip to his Pokéball. He continued his plan: Not caring about his Pokémon. Even if the people in S.S. Fast criticized him, he tried not to care. _They know nothing about me!_

Just when his plan is working fine, he had to see his best friend in the past was given by a weakling like Lows! _I cannot accept this!_

 _I will ruin him at all causes... After he took my best friend! Just wait and see, Lows..._

* * *

I have to say, even if Woody has a Lonely Nature, he still gets along with my Pokémon and I pretty fast, I took him to walk with me when passing Route 116 to Rusturf Tunnel. Suddenly, I saw Harry appeared right in front of my eyes... again! I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore him, but he blocked my way on purpose. I became mad and asked, "What do you want, Harry..."

Harry rudely replied, "Well, I see that you have another weak Pokémon with you, weakling! Why don't you use this to battle my new Pokémon, one on one? I pretty sure you will lose! Hahahaha..."

Just when I'm about to respond, Woody said angrily. "Sure, why not?! I will show you who will lose!"

Harry got shocked by his old friend that is angry to himself. _Does he really not remember me?_ But he quickly changed his thoughts. _Who cares, now to beat this weakling!_

"Go, Machop!" He sent out a small Pokémon with strong muscles. I scanned the Pokémon with my Pokédex and it said, [Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. Its whole body is composed of muscles. Even though it's the size of a human child, it can hurl 100 grown-ups.]

 _Oh my, it is definitely strong..._ suddenly, I heard that the Superpower Pokémon said with a voice similar to a child, "I'm sorry if I had to hurt you. I didn't like battling but my trainer forced me to..." Woody and I nodded at Machop, understanding his situation.

"Woody, let's start off with Quick Attack, and use Bullet Seed before he regains his position!" Woody quickly dashed around the battlefield and hit Machop out of nowhere. When Machop is trying to stand back up, the Wood Gecko Pokémon immeditately shoot out many seeds from his mouth. Machop couldn't dodge it and got hit by the attack, but he still has stamina.

"Machop, use Focus Energy, then use Mach Punch!" Machop quickly get himself focused while his eyes turned red, and quickly punched Woody with his strong arm. Woody seemed to take more damage than usual. I realized that Focus Energy boosts the chance of getting a critical hit.

"Don't give up, Woody, use Bullet Seed again, and use Pound immediately after the move!" He shoot another row of seeds towards Machop.

"Machop, dodge and use Low Kick!" Machop tried to dodge the seeds, but got hit by the last two seeds. He fell down and tried to get up to attack, but Woody's fast speed allows him to use his tail and attacked Machop. Machop winced in pain and I felt like he is about to faint.

"Why don't we stop here, Harry? Your Machop is going to get badly injured if he continues." But Harry ignored my words, and said, "Machop, use Low Kick again!" Machop tried to kick Woody with his strong leg, but the Wood Gecko Pokémon skillfully dodged the attack and I said, "Just a little more, Woody! I believe in you! Use Quick Attack to finish this off, but not too hard!" I asked him to do a weaker attack, because I don't want Machop to get hurt too badly.

Woody immediately ran back towards Machop, and hit him with a weaker impact, but still allows Machop to fell onto the ground, unable to battle.

Harry shouted rudely to Machop, "Machop, get up and beat that Treecko!" Machop is able to get up tiredly, but he really cannot battle anymore.

"That's enough, Harry! Don't force your Pokémon to break their limits! They are just like us humans too!" I angrily yelled at him, as I was triggered by his bad attitude towards his Pokémon.

"Well, weakling, you win this time. But it's because that this Machop is weak! I'll do anything to get you strong, Machop! Don't you dare lose again!" Then, he ran away, and Machop had to follow him. Before he left, Woody and I said goodbye to him. I felt very bad for Machop and feel like this isn't the way to treat Pokémon.

Anyways, I praised Woody for his awesome performance. "Treecko, you did very well in the battle! Thanks for trying your best in the battle and win!" He smiled at my compliment and replied, "Thanks, Lows. Now let's go to Rusturf Tunnel!"

I happily nodded, and walked to Rusturf Tunnel to reach our next destination, Verdanturf Town. What I didn't expect is that I will see one of my friends again...

* * *

 **Who will Lows see in Verdanturf City, and what things will he find? Find out next time :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Growl, Bubble, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Ralts, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think of the sad experiences of the Pokémon in the Pokémon Adoption Centre?**

 **What do you think of the new addition to Lows' team?**

 **How do you think of the backstory of Harry?**


	8. Hoenn 7

**Last chapter, on his way passing Route 116, he found a Pokémon Adoption Centre where he listened to the abandoned Pokémon's experience. Then, he found a Treecko who turned out to be Harry's lost friend, but Lows didn't know and adopted the Wood Gecko Pokémon and named him Woody. When he reached Verdanturf Town, he met with one of his friends again. What will Lows find in Verdanturf?**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - The Verdanturf Pokémon Tournament**

Shortly after we have beaten Harry's Machop, we got to the entrance of Rusturf Tunnel, which leads to Verdanturf Town. I had scary experience at Petalburg Woods before, so I'm very scared in dark places. I took my torchlight out and took a deep breath before going into the tunnel.

Woody, who is still on my back comforted me, "Don't worry Lows, I shall protect you when you're in trouble!" I thanked my grass type Pokémon, and I became more confident as I walked past the tunnel with my torchlight on.

Just when I'm about to reach the end, I suddenly felt an earthquake in the tunnel. The ground started to shake heavily and some boulders fell in front of me, blocking the path.

"Oh no... what am I to do? Ziggs can't seem to break these big boulders..."

Suddenly, I heard someone shouted, "Blade, use Psycho Cut to break the boulders!" Then, I felt a strong energy smashed through the boulders and easily break them apart. I saw the guy behind those boulders is Wally, with Blade by his side.

"Oh, it's you again! What's up?" Wally greeted me politely, and I bowed and said, "Not too bad! I just got my first badge." He looked at the boulder-shaped badge pinned on my shirt and smiled.

"Why don't we talk about that later? Maybe we should get out of here before another earthquake here occurs." I nodded, and we quickly got out of the tunnel and reached Verdanturf Town.

 _Now I really have to say, this is one of the most beautiful town I've ever seen in my life. I have just stasted the freshest and the cleanest air of my life; Flowers everywhere in the town... THIS IS AMAZING!_

"This is an amazing town, isn't it?" Wally said, "This is where my relatives live. I went here before with my uncle to recover my asthma." I was shocked, as I didn't know that he has asthma before.

"I was going to build a gym here and be the gym leader, but I didn't want to ruin the town's beauty and ruin the air here. But there is a hall there, where tournaments are occasionally held there. Actually, there is a tournament going to be held in two days? Why don't you join? I'm sure that you will enjoy it."

 _A tournament... this can really help me train for the second gym leader!_ Thinking that, I nodded and thanked Wally for his suggestion. Then, we bid farewell and he flied back to his gym using a Flying type Pokémon, but I missed it again!

I went to the hall and asked the receptionist, "Can I register for the tournament that's happening in 2 days?"

The receptionist nodded and said, "Are you talking about the Verdanturf Pokémon Tournament 2004? Sure! There are still space left for registers." She gave me a form to write my details. I realized in the tournament, you can only use two Pokémon for the early battles, and four Pokémon for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, which is good because everyone gets a chance to train.

In the list of Pokémon I'm going to use, I wrote the nicknames of my Pokémon, and not forgetting to list their species too. Also, I ticked my name for the 1 to 2 badges tournament, as there are also 3 to 4, 5 to 6 and 7 to 8 badges tournament. _I don't want to get beaten by them!_

I gave back the form to the receptionist and after looking at it, the receptionist smiled, "You are all set, Lows Landerson! Please get to the hall earlier than 8 a.m. after two days to prepare. Understand?" I nodded and thanked the receptionist, and I ran to the PokéCentre to book a room.

In the room, I excitedly send out my Pokémon. "Are you guys ready for the tournament?"

Surfer nodded nervously. "I'm kind of excited but nervous as this is my first tournament..."

"Actually, this is all our first tournament. Let's try our best at it, everyone!" Grace's words of encouragement made us all cheered up.

"Why don't we train after we ate breakfast tomorrow?" They all nodded, and before we go to sleep for tomorrow's training, my Pokégear suddenly rang. I realized that it is my parents and answered with my webcam on.

My mother and father's face appeared in the screen. "Hey Lows, how are you doing?"

I replied with a happy tone. "I'm doing well! I just got my first badge, I have so many things to tell you guys!" I told them how I got an item that allows me to communicate with Pokémon, how I got my Pokémon, the first gym battle I have with Roxanne...

Almost about 15 minutes later, I finished talking about the things that happened through my journey. "I guess that's it for now... Oh yeah! I'm participating for a tournament in two days."

My parents encouraged me. "Lows, be sure to do your best in the tournament. Remember, winning or losing is not important, the most important thing is to have fun with your Pokémon." I thanked them for their words of encouragement, and we said goodbye to each other and ended the call. Then, we prepared for bed and slept early for tomorrow's training.

After eating a hearty breakfast in the PokéCentre, We went to the route between Verdanturf and Mauville, Route 117 to train. Suddenly, I saw one of my friends, Disc training there too. I immediately closed his eyes and asked, "Guess who I am?"

Disc immediately turned his head and he is surprised. "Lows! What are you doing here? Are you participating the Verdanturf Pokémon Tournament too?"

I am surprised that he is also participating the tournament. "Yeah, Disc! I guess we might meet each other in the tournament. Let's try our best! Well, I won't bother you training here, I'm going somewhere else in the route, goodbye!"

Just when I'm about to leave, Disc called me back. "Just saying Lows, but Harry is participating in the tournament too. I saw him registering when I am filling in the form."

I got shocked, but I replied calmly. "So what? We don't need to care about winning, just have fun with your Pokémon!" He agreed my words with a smile, and we bid farewell for now to go train separately.

After training for a few hours, we went back to Verdanturf and tried to find a restaurant to have lunch. Just when I found a restaurant, I saw Harry looking at me. He then said, "Well, I guess you're participating the same tournament as me, too..." He then quickly continued, "There's no way that anyone's going to beat me. I got the best strategies that no one will ever expect! You should just give up."

I got angry at his words, but I tried to respond nicely to him. "Don't worry Harry, I will not give up, because before the last moment, you never know who will win."

"Well, is that so, weakling? No Pokémon that evolved, a weakling that has no battling potential... What else could get worse?" I ignored his words, and left him alone. We went somewhere else to train. After a good day of training, we ate dinner at night and tried to sleep. But, we could barely sleep because of how excited and nervous we are for the tournament. We still forced ourselves to sleep for the tournament.

* * *

"Today is the day! We are going for the tournament!" I woke up and called my Pokémon to wake up. They woke up just in time for us to prepare, have our breakfast and go to the hall. We got there just in time for the preparation before the tournament. Then I saw the people that are in the same group and are going to compete with me for the first place in the group. They are called Justin, Pegs and Luka, and we are in Group F. Each group are going to compete for a winner for the quarter-finals, as they are 8 groups with 4 people in each group. _I'm gonna have to work hard to get to the quarter-finals... Let's do this!_

The host of the tournament started talking, announcing that the tournament has started. I then realized it is Fred, the host in the talk held in Oldale. "Welcome to the annual Verdanturf Pokémon Tournament 2004! I'm your host, Fred Jones! Without further ado, let's start the tournament right now! We'll start off with Group A's first competitors, it is the Gym Leader Brawly's son, Harry versus the youngest sibling from the Porry Family known for great battling skills, Luke! May we give them a round of applause!" The audience clapped their hands loudly, while I heard them talking in the arena seat."

"Isn't that the guy who has beaten the Kanto Champion easily?"

"I heard that that Harry guy has studied a year of battling strategies before starting his journey."

"Then, he must be very good!"

I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore them. _They might be true, but he didn't have the right heart to treat his Pokémon._ Anyways, I watched the battle in the arena seat before my turn comes. They are already standing in the battlefield, ready to battle.

"I choose you, Marshtomp!" He threw a Pokéball and Marshtomp came out of it. I was too far away from it and I couldn't scan it with my Pokédex, but I knew that it is the evolved form of Mudkip.

"Let's go, Doduo!" Luke threw a Pokéball towards the battlefield, and a ostrich-like Pokémon appeared. _Too bad, I can't use my Pokédex! Oh well... I should focus on the battle._

"Marshtomp, use Water Gun for the first move!" Marshtomp spit out a stream of water, which I felt it is slightly more powerful than Surfer's, while Luke commanded, "Doduo, dodge and use Fury Attack!" The Doduo dodged the attack with its quick movement and jabbed Marshtomp with its beak 4 times in a row. Marshtomp winced in pain, but he is far from getting defeated.

"Marshtomp, stay in your position!" Marshtomp stayed there, making everyone confused what is he going to do. When the opponent commanded, "Doduo, use Fury Attack again!" Doduo ran towards Marshtomp to jab him, Harry suddenly commanded, "Now, Marshtomp, use Mud Sport around the battlefield, then use Bide!"

Marshtomp immediately threw mud around the field, and a pile of mud hit Doduo who is rushing Marshtomp. Then, Marshtomp's face turned red and I realized he is charging for a powerful attack.

"Don't give up, Doduo! Use Tri Attack!" After shaking the mud off it, Doduo shot a triangular field of energy towards Marshtomp, and fire, thunder and ice hit Marshtomp after the energy is released. But Marshtomp tried to ignore the pain, and kept on charging the attack.

"Now, Marshtomp! Release your energy!" Marshtomp immediately rushed towards Doduo and hit it hard. The ostrich-looking Pokémon couldn't endure the huge impact and fell onto the ground, unconcious. The referee announced, "Doduo is unable to battle! Marshtomp wins!" The audience immediately clapped loudly, cheering for Harry.

"Doduo, good job. Now, go Volbeat!" He returned Doduo back to his Pokéball, and threw another Pokéball. A bug-looking Pokémon appeared in the battlefield. It certainly looks like it is ready to avenge his teammate. Harry then returned Marshtomp quietly, and send out another Pokémon. It is the Machop that I battled earlier. _I hope that he would be fine with battling..._

"Machop, use Focus Energy, then use Mach Punch!" Machop focused his energy, and quickly send out a strong punch towards his foe. The Volbeat's type seems to reduce some of the impact, but it still winced from the critical hit.

"Volbeat, use Shock Wave!" I was shocked that Volbeat can learn a electric type move, but the Pokémon send out bolts of lightning and hit the Machop, Machop failed to dodge it and winced in pain.

"Machop, finish this with Karate Chop!" When Machop tried to rushed his opponent and tried to chop it with his hand, Luke suddenly commanded, "Volbeat, don't give up! Counter with Signal Beam!"

As the bug-type Pokémon shot a beam of light towards the Superpower Pokémon, it got chopped by Machop as well, the impact formed a huge dust. After the dust faded away, all Pokémon collpased from exhaustion. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! The winner is Harry from Dewford Town!" Everyone clapped at the results, I clapped too and thought, _he is good at battling too..._ I started to become nervous. _What if I lose to him?_

 _Lows, don't focus on the "what if", focus on the "now"!_ That's what I learnt from a Minecraft novel that I read.

Harry and Luke walked away from the battlefield to prepare for the next match. I continued to watch some battles in the other groups before the receptionist remind me to go prepare for the first battle.

* * *

 _Alright Lows, it's time to show your strength!_ I thought when I'm about to go to the battlefield.

"Now, let's start the group battles in Group F! Firstly, let's welcome the boy from Kanto, Lows versus the Ace Trainer, Luka! May we welcome them by giving a round of applause!" Everyone politely clapped their hands when me and Luka walked into the battlefield. We politely bowed to each other before the battle starts.

Luka send out his Pokémon first. "Let's battle, Tentacool!" A jellyfish-like Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Tentacool, the Jellyfish Pokémon. Its eyes are as transparent as crystals. From them, it shoots mysterious beams of light] After getting crept out by the entry, I threw out a Pokéball and yelled, "It's time to battle, Grace!" The Feeling Pokémon send out her cries towards her opponent.

"Tentacool, start off with Poison Sting!" The Jellyfish Pokémon shot a poisonous needle towards Grace. Thinking fast, I yelled, "Grace, dodge and use Confusion!" Grace skillfully dodged the needle and use her psychic powers to lift Tentacool into the air and throw him down. The Tentacool got angry and shouted, "You shall get squashed by me!"

The Ace Trainer commanded again, "Tentacool, use Bubblebeam on Grace!" The angry Tentacool shot bubbles, the move is simillar to Bubble but it is definitely more powerful.

 _Ah, Grace can't see through the bubbles blocking the sight! Maybe..._

"Grace, use Double Team and surround Tentacool while getting yourself out of the bubbles, then use Confusion!" Grace immediately create illusions around Tentacool. While Tentacool is confused of where the real Grace is, Luka commanded, "Tentacool, stay calm and use Bubblebeam around you!"

Tentacool immediately shot bubbles around him, the bubbles hit some illusions, but luckily none of the bubbles hit the real Grace. Grace then tried to use Confusion, but instead, she shot out rings of psychic energy towards Tentacool. I realized that Grace learnt **Psybeam**. The rings are fast and Tentacool is hit by the super effective attack and collapsed onto the ground, unable to move.

"Tentacool is unable to battle! Grace wins!" The audience clapped at the results. Luka returned Tentacool, and said, "Let's battle hard, Combusken!" He threw another Pokéball, and a red chicken-like Pokémon appeared. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Combusken, the Young Fowl Pokémon. It boosts its concentration by emitting harsh cries. Its kicks have outstanding destructive power.]

I got scared by its power after I heard its entry, and I decided to use the type advantage. "Grace, take some rest." I returned Grace and threw another Pokéball. "Let's have fun, Surfer!" Surfer appeared in the battlefield, I realized that he is nervous and comforted him. "Don't worry Surfer, just try your best!" He nodded at me, calming down a bit.

"Combusken, use Double Kick on Surfer!" The Young Fowl Pokémon immediately ran straight towards Surfer and kicked him twice, and quickly back off. The impact is strong, but Surfer is not giving up.

 _We have to do something on that Combusken... I have an idea!_ I thought when the Ace Trainer yelled again confidently, "Use Double Kick again, Combusken!" As the Young Fowl Pokémon rushed in again, I give out my command. "Surfer, use Withdraw to reduce the impact, and quickly use Water Gun after Combusken attacks!"

Surfer immediately protect himself using his shell, reducing the impact a bit. After Combusken finished his attack and tried to back off, Surfer is already out of his shell, spitting out a stream of water. The Young Fowl Pokémon couldn't reduce the impact from the super effective attack, but he is still able to battle. "I'll burn you down!" The Combusken said loudly to Surfer.

"Surfer, finish him off with Water Gun, full power!" Luka then said to the Combusken, "Combusken, use Flamethrower, full power!" They both use their attacks, but the stream of water extinguished the fire and hit Combusken, making him fainted from the super effective attack.

"Combusken is unable to battle! Winner goes to Lows from Kanto!"

 _Alright, a good start for the tournament!_ I happily thought and shook hands with Luka and said, "That is a good battle, I hope we can battle again!"

"Yeah, I hope so too! Congratulations for winning." The Ace Trainer is not disappointed by the loss, and congratulate me for winning.

* * *

When I go back to the arena seat and watched the next battle, I realized that Disc is going to battle next. "Alright, after the first battle in Group F, now may we start the battle in Group G! It is the boy who loves discs since he is young, Daniel versus the country boy from a small town, Drew! Let's start the battle!"

 _I remember when I first checked Disc's team, he had a seagull Pokémon and Leafy... What else will he have?_

"Time to battle, Leafy!" Disc send out Leafy into the battlefield, but I realized that the size of Leafy has changed and she has a flower about to bloom on her body. _I guess that Leafy evolved, too..._

"Let's go, Camol!" Drew sent out a small camel-looking Pokémon, and it is sure ready to battle.

"Leafy, let's start off with Tackle!" Leafy rushed towards Camol while the country boy commanded, "Use Ember on Leafy!" Camol immediately shot a weak fire towards Leafy. Leafy took damage from the super effective attack, but she is far from giving up.

"Camol, use Magnitude!" The ground then shook a bit in the battlefield, and Leafy took more damage from the shaking in the battlefield. But Disc still didn't say a word. _What is he doing?_

Drew became more confident and say, "Camol, use Tackle on Leafy!" Camol immediately obey the command and rushed towards Leafy. Just then, Disc commanded, "You know what to do, Leafy."

Suddenly, Leafy shoot white spores towards Camol. Camol got hit by them and fell into a deep sleep. "No, Camol! Wake up!" But the camel-like Pokémon is still sleeping.

"Now it's our chance! Leafy, use Leech Seed on Camol!" Leafy then shot some seeds on Camol, and after they grew, a burst of energy was sapped from Camol and the energy is transfered to Leafy. Leafy smiled when she felt the burst of energy from Camol.

Camol finally woke up and Drew commanded, "Camol, use Tackle again!" Camol rushed towards Leafy, but this time Disc commanded, "Grab Camol and throw him into the air with Vine Whip!"

Leafy immediately shot some vines and grabbed Camol. Drew is shocked and panicked. Leafy then throw Camol into the air, and after it landed onto the ground, the camel-like Pokémon couldn't endure the impact and couldn't move.

The referee announced, "Camol is unable to battle! Leafy wins!"

 _A strategy that makes the opponent think that they're going to win and became careless, and suddenly comes back from the downfall... What an amazing strategy!_

"Camol, return! Now... let's go, Shroom!" He then send out a Pokémon that looks like a mushroom. It looks like it is ready to battle with his foe.

"Leafy, nice job! Take a quick rest. Now, let's go, Ghoul!" He then threw a Pokéball with a creepy-looking Pokémon in it. It raised its arms up and down like a zombie. It looks like it is not someone who is suitable to mess with.

"Shroom, use Stun Spore on Ghoul, then use Absorb!" Shroom shot yellow spores towards Ghoul, but Ghoul is able to dodge the spores still, Shroom is still able to sap some energy from Ghoul using Absorb. Ghoul winced in pain but it is far from giving up.

"Ghoul, use Night Shade!" Ghoul created a mirage that terrified Shroom, making it took some damage too. Then, the country boy commanded, "Go head on head using Tackle!"

Disc quickly give Ghoul his command. "Ghoul, counter with Bite after finding Shroom's weak spot using Foresight!" When the mushroom-like Pokémon rushed towards Ghoul, Ghoul blinked its eyes, scanning Shroom's weak spot. And when it found the weak spot, it quickly bite Shroom with its sharp teeth, while taking damage from the tackle too.

"Shroom, finish off with Mega Drain!"

"Ghoul, counter with Night Shade!"

Shroom immediately sapped more energy from Ghoul, while Ghoul ignored its pain and create the terrifying mirage. Both Pokémon winced in pain and collapsed onto the ground, unable to battle.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! Disc from Kanto wins the battle!" The audience clapped at the results, and I got scared by Disc's strength. _He really improved a lot..._

The battles later are not that interesting. Harry easily defeated his opponents, while Ziggs and Woody fought Justin with skill and defeated them. Disc also is able to defeat his opponent after a hard-fought battle. We all became the first place in the group and got to the quarter finals. After the last battle of Group H ended, I quickly looked at the quarter finalists. The next rounds are as followed after 30 minutes of resting:

 **Quarter finals Matches**

 **Harry VS Carrie**

 **Cameron VS Cados**

 **Regis VS Lows**

 **Daniel VS Paris**

 _If I defeated my opponent, I would most likely face Disc in the semi finals..._ Watching his amazing strategies makes me scared a little bit.

 _Lows, focus on the "now" first! We have to win in the quarter finals match first!_

Not wanting to waste time, I went and rest with my Pokémon, also talked about some strategies before the quarter finals start.

* * *

 **That's it for the first part of the tournament guys! Will Lows defeat his opponents next chapter? Find out soon :)**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Squirtle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Growl, Bubble, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Ralts, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think of the battles in the tournament?**

 **Will Lows defeat the upcoming trainers?**


	9. Hoenn 8

**Last chapter, accepting Wally's suggestion, Lows participated in the Verdanturf Pokémon Tournament in the 1 to 2 badges tournament, and succesfully moved on to the quarter finals. Will he continue his way to victory or lose?**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Returning From the Downfall**

After which felt like only a few seconds, the P.A. system announced, " _Attention quarter-finalists in the 1 to 2 badges tournament, please get ready for your next round._ " I quickly took my Pokémon and ran to behind the battlefield to prepare for the next round. I can't watch Harry's battle, so I just focused on preparing for the next battle.

After the two battles have ended, I heard the host announced, "After a hot battle between Cameron and Cados, may we welcome the next battle! It's Regis versus Lows! May they show their battling skills in this battlefield! Let's start!" Regis and I ran towards the battlefield, and bowed at each other politely.

"Let's start off with you, Cotton!" He send out a bird-looking Pokémon, with cotton-like wings. I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. It constantly grooms its cotton-like wings. It takes a shower to clean itself if it becomes dirty.] The Cotton Bird Pokémon said with a feminine voice, "Yeah, time to battle!"

 _I don't have any Pokémon that has the type advantage! Let's use..._

"Ziggs, I choose you!" I threw Ziggs' Pokéball and the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon appeared in the battlefield. I heard that some people are shocked by my decision, and started talking about how Ziggs can do this when he is a weak Pokémon. I rolled my eyes, and tried to ignore them and encouraged Ziggs. "No matter who calls you weak, I believe in you. Do your best, Ziggs!" He nodded at me and said, "No worries, Lows. I shall take care of myself."

"Ziggs, start off with Growl!" Ziggs growled fiercely to Cotton, which lowered her attack a bit. Regis immediately commanded, "What a weak move! Cotton, use Wing Attack!" Cotton spreads her wings wide and rushed forward, hitting Ziggs with her wings. Ziggs winced in pain but refused to fall just yet.

"Ziggs, don't give up! Use Headbutt!" Ziggs lowered his head and jumped as high as possible, and hit the flying Cotton with his head, but the damage dealt is not too much.

"Cotton, finish off with Fury Attack!" When the Cotton Bird Pokémon rushed towards Ziggs to jab him, I immediately gave him my command. "Ziggs, counter with Tackle!"

Ziggs tackled as hard as possible when Cotton jabbed him five times with her beak. Cotton took some damage, but is still flying in the air, while Ziggs couldn't endure the impact and collapsed.

"Ziggs is unable to battle! Cotton wins!" The audience clapped at the result, and I started to become more nervous. "Thanks Ziggs, you battled hard. Take a rest."

Ziggs became sorry and said, "I'm sorry I'm not able to do much..."

I immediately replied, "No, no! You did well. I'm sorry I made you hurt so much... Now, take a rest for a bit." He nodded and I returned him to my Pokéball.

 _How about choosing you? It's time to battle!_

"Let's do this, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball and Grace smiled at me, waiting for my command. "Grace, use Psybeam on Cotton!"

"Cotton, counter with Wing Attack!" They both used their attacks, Cotton got hit by the rings, but she tried to endure the pain and hit Grace with her wings. Grace took massive amount of damage.

 _Grace is not good at taking physical attacks... Oh no, have I made a bad choice?_

"Grace, use Confusion and throw Cotton to the ground!" When Grace is doing that, Regis commanded, "Use Gust on Grace!"

Cotton tried to ignored the control of Grace and formed a small tornado and moved it towards Grace, and got controled by the psychic powers and landed on the ground. Grace got hit by the tornado and is stuck in the tornado. After the attacks ended, Cotton is still standing, panting when Grace already collapsed after got sent flying by the tornado.

"Grace is unable to battle! Cotton wins!" Once the referee announced that, I returned Grace and thanked for her hard work. Then I started to become nervous.

 _Cotton already took out two of my Pokémon! And nothing seems to be stopping her! I gonna put more strategy on the next one..._

"Let's go, Surfer!" I threw Surfer's Pokéball and hopefully, Surfer can beat Cotton.

Regis said to me with a mocking voice. "Already two of your Pokémon down, what else can you do? I'm totally going to win!"

"No...no your not! I'm going to try my best!"

"Yeah, we'll see about that. Cotton, use Wing Attack!" When Cotton is spreading her wings wide, I suddenly got an idea.

"Surfer, use Water Gun on the wings!" Surfer immediately spit out the stream of water on Cotton's wings. Cotton's wings is wet because of the Water Gun, and she couldn't fly anymore because of its wings' heavy weight.

 _Yes, my plan worked! Cotton's wings is just like cotton, so it absorbs water!_

"Surfer, use the Bubble and Water Gun combo!" Surfer shot bubbles and blocked Cotton's sight, and Cotton got hit by the stream of water shortly after. She is almost about to faint.

"Cotton, use Astonish!"

"Not on our watch! Surfer, end this with Water Gun!"

When Cotton tried to rush to Surfer to use the attack, Surfer already spit out the stream of water and as result, Cotton is hit by the water and collapsed.

"Cotton is unable to battle! Surfer wins!" The audience clapped at my return from the downfall, but I knew that it is just the beginning.

"Surfer, you should take some rest, thanks for your good work. Now... let's go, Woody!" I returned Surfer and send out Woody. It certainly looks like it is ready to battle.

"Then I choose... you, Volt! Let's go!" He send out a Pokémon simillar to a Pokéball. I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Voltorb, the Ball Pokémon. A life-form whose identity is unknown. It is said to screech or suddenly selfdestruct.]

 _Oh no, if I'm not careful enough, Woody can just get destroyed by the selfdestruct! I have to be careful for the timing to return Woody..._

"Woody, use Bullet Seed!" Woody shot 5 seeds towards Volt.

"Volt, dodge and use Charge!" Volt then focused and started absorbing electricity, which I felt is something not good for us.

"Volt, use Spark!" Volt charged the electricity and rushed towards Woody.

"Woody, dodge and use Pound!" Woody dodged the attack and hit the Ball Pokémon with his tail. But slowly, sparks emitted from Woody's body and the electricity bring him down.

 _Oh no, Volt has Static too! This isn't good..._

"Woody, do you think you can keep going?" I asked in concern, and the Wood Gecko Pokémon replied, "Don't worry... I shall try my best before I go down."

"Alright then, Woody, use the move that we learnt earlier!" Woody immediately sapped Volt's energy and he smiled at the burst of energy.

"Volt, use the special attack!" We didn't know what Regis means until it started to turn red. _Oh no, it's going to explode!_

"Woody, return!" Woody tried to return, but the paralysis is slowing him down. The Selfdestruct formed a huge dust. After the dust faded, I realized that Woody didn't have enough time to return, he collapsed on the battlefield, unconsious, while Volt is also the same.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!"

"Woody, Woody! Are you okay? Take a rest, thanks for your effort." I felt very bad for Woody, and returned him to his Pokéball.

 _Surfer has to defeat all two Pokémon, so we can move in to the next round. But, can he really do it?_

 _No, Lows, you have to believe in your Pokémon! Win or lose, let's have fun!_

"Let's do this, Surfer!" I send Surfer out in the battlefield again, while Regis said, "Let's win, Swell!" He then send out a Pokémon that is enormous as a bird size.

I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Swellow, the Swallow Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Taillow. If its two tail feathers are standing at attention, it is proof of good health. It soars elegantly in the sky.]

This will be tough... let's try our best! "Surfer, use the same tactic!" Surfer spit out the stream of water to its wings, but it doesn't seemed to get effected much by it!

"What a weak move! Swell, use Quick Attack!" Swell immediately dashed around the field, and hit Surfer, but Surfer is far from giving up.

"Surfer, use the Bubble and Water Gun combo!" Surfer shot bubbles and tried to spit out the stream of water, but Regis thought ahead already. "Swell, fly high to the sky to dodge the bubbles, then use Wing Attack!" Swell fly high in the battlefield and spread its wings wide, and rushed to Surfer. "Surfer, dodge!" Surfer skillfully dodged the attack but I noticed that he's getting tired.

"They're too tough, Lows. I might not be able to defeat them..." Even Surfer is about to give up.

"Surfer, win or lose, let's do our best!" I petted Surfer, and he nodded with a smile. Suddenly, he glowed white and starting to change form.

 _Is Surfer evolving?!_ The audience are shocked as I am too, even Regis is shocked as well.

After the process has ended, the look of Surfer changed. Bluish white fur covered his long ears and tail, and two sharp teeth protruding from his upper jaws. I scanned him with my Pokédex and it said, [Wartortle, the Turtle Pokémon. This Pokémon is very popular as a pet. Its fur-covered tail is a symbol of its longevity.]

"How do you feel, Surfer?" I asked Surfer, and he nodded with a smile, and replied with a deeper voice than before, "I feel good to ride the waves again, Lows! I think I learnt some new moves too!"

"Who cares if your Pokémon evolved, we can still win! Swell, use Peck!" When Swell rushed towards Surfer, the two sharp teeth of Surfer gave me an idea.

"Surfer, counter with Bite!" Surfer then rushed towards the running Swell and Bite it, while Swell tried to endure the pain and pecked Surfer with its beak. They are all panting hard.

"Swell, finish off with Peck!" Swell tried to rush in again, I commanded Surfer, "Counter with Bubble!" Surfer tried to shoot bubbles, but instead, it shot out water rings that looks powerful, and they hit the Swallow Pokémon.

 _Surfer learned Water Pulse too!_ I happily thought.

Swell got hit by the water rings and collapsed on the ground. It tried to stand but it is to no avail.

"Swell is unable to battle! Surfer wins!" After the referee's said that, Regis' confident smile disappeared, but he still returned Swell and said, "Finish this, Boulder!" He send out a Pokémon that looks like Geodude, but bigger in size. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Graveler, the Rock Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Geodude. Be careful while hiking on mountain trails. Graveler may come rolling down the path without slowing.]

 _This battle shall decide the winner... Let's try our best!_

"Surfer, use Growl, then use Water Pulse!" Surfer growled fiercely and shot water rings towards Boulder.

"Boulder, dodge and use Rock Throw!" Boulder barely dodged the water rings and threw rocks at Surfer.

"Surfer, counter with Water Gun!" Surfer spit out the stream of water towards Boulder, hitting him. After the attacks, they are both tired, but Surfer is really tired as he battled a lot.

"Let's finish this, Surfer! Ride the waves of Water Gun and use Water Pulse!"

"Boulder, use Rock Throw when Surfer's coming towards you!"

Surfer ride on the stream of water and shot water rings towards Boulder. At the same time, Boulder threw bigger rocks at Surfer. Both Pokémon got hit by the attacks.

In the end, they all fell onto the ground. At first I thought, _is this a tie?_ Suddenly, Surfer tried to stand up, and he did, while Boulder couldn't stand up. I smiled at Surfer, liking that he never gives up.

"Boulder is unable to battle! Surfer wins! The winner is Lows from Kanto!" _Oh yes, this is one of the closest battles ever, but I'm glad that I won!_ On the other side, Regis heaved a sigh of disappointment. I wanted to shake hands with him, but he immediately ran away. I can tell that he's angry of the loss.

"What a bad sport," said Surfer. I shooked my head to Surfer while having a bitter smile at my face.

* * *

Then, I watched Disc's battle, and Disc easily defeated his opponent. _That means I'm battling him in the next round..._

I checked the semi-finals battles, and not surprising, the battles are as follows:

 **Semi finals Matches**

 **Harry VS Cameron**

 **Lows VS Daniel**

I sighed, then someone suddenly tapped my shoulder. I turned around and realized it is Disc. He smiled at me and said, "Well, looks like we're going to battle the next round. Let's try our best to defeat each other!"

Looking at my sad face, he asked, "What's the matter, Lows? Not excited for the battle?"

"I mean, yeah, I am. But what if I win and you lose?"

"When someone wins, the other loses. It is a common rule in a battle. Don't worry Lows, I understand. Let's do our best performance in the battle!" I nodded with a smile, and we all went to other sides to rest before the battle starts.

 _Disc is right, I should try my best in every battle, even if it's against my friend!_ I thought with determination, and I'm ready for the battle. When Harry is battling, I thought that it is most likely that Harry is going to win. Later, the host announced, "After the tremendous battle between Harry and Cameron, it is time for the next and last battle of the semifinals, it is the clash between friends: Lows versus Daniel, both from Kanto! May we please welcome them with a round of applause!" They all cheered at us when we are walking into the battlefield. Disc and I smiled at each other, wishing each other for the best.

"I choose you, Breeze!" Disc threw a Pokéball and the Pokémon that looks like a seagull is right in front of my eyes. I scanned it with my Pokédex and it said, [Wingull, the Seagull Pokémon. It rides upon ocean winds as if it were a glider. In the winter, it hides food around its nest.] The Seagull Pokémon shouted, "I shall defeat you along the sea wind!"

 _Alright then, I choose..._ "Let's go, Woody!" Woody appeared in the battlefield again, and it seems like he has recovered from the Selfdestruct after a quick rest.

"Woody, use Quick Attack, and Bullet Seed right after!" Woody immediately dashed around the battlefield at lightning speed, and hit the Seagull Pokémon. When Breeze is trying to get back into position, Woody shot five seeds towards Breeze, making Breeze got hit by the seeds, and took some damage.

"Breeze, use Wing Attack!" Breeze spread his wings and tried to attack Woody. I immediately told Woody, "Woody, dodge!" Woody tried to dodge but failed and got hit by the super effective attack. I then realized, _oh no, Wingull's ability is Keen Eye, which allows it to attack without fail! What should I do?_

 _If dodging doesn't work, then let's just attack!_ "Woody, use Absorb, then Bullet Seed!" Woody absorbed some energy from Breeze, and shot five seeds towards Breeze. Breeze winced in pain, but he is far from giving up.

"Breeze, Steel Wing!" Breeze's wings immediately turned silver and Breeze use his wings to hit Woody. Woody seemed to take more damage, but he is still able to stand.

"I might be down in a second, Lows." He said to me tiredly, I petted him and said, "Don't worry, just try your best! Use Quick Attack!" He nodded and dashed around the field, ready to send out his shot.

"Breeze, counter with Wing Attack!"

As the Wood Gecko Pokémon rushed towards Breeze and attacked him, Breeze hit Woody with his wings. Woody winced in pain of the super effective attack, and collapsed in the battlefield, while Breeze is still able to fly in the sky.

"Woody is unable to battle! Breeze wins!" I started to become nervous, but I returned Woody and thanked him for his effort.

"Let's try our best, Grace!" Grace appeared in the battlefield, ready to avenge her teammate. I saw her teleporting around the battlefield, then I realized she learned Teleport. I suddenly thought of a strategy that might work...

"Breeze, use Wing Attack!" When Breeze is rushing towards Grace with his wings spreading wide, I commanded, "Grace, teleport away and use Psybeam!"

Grace immediately use her psychic powers and teleported away in a distance. When Breeze is confused where Grace is, he suddenly got hit by psychic rings and took some damage. He then looked at the direction of the rings, and saw no one is there. Suddenly, he got shot by the rings again. He suddenly saw Grace over there, waving her hands towards him with a smile. Breeze got angry and rushed to Grace.

"Breeze, stop! Don't run towards her!" But Breeze ignored Disc's commands and continue rushing. Suddenly, Grace disappeared again. The tired Seagull Pokémon is panting, and suddenly got hit by the rings again. This time, he couldn't endure the impact and collapsed.

"Breeze is unable to battle! Grace wins!" I happily nodded my head towards Grace, happy that my plan worked. But, I know that it would be harder from here.

"Breeze, good work. Let's go, Leafy!" He send out Leafy, and I scanned her evolved form with my Pokédex. [Ivysaur, the Seed Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Bulbasaur. There is a plant bulb on its back. When it absorbs nutrients, the bulb is said to blossom into a large flower.]

"Grace, can you continue?" Grace nodded at me, and I commanded, "Grace, use Teleport and Psybeam!"

"Not on our watch! Leafy, use Vine Whip around the battlefield!" Leafy shot vines around the battlefield, making Grace unable to teleport, as she will get stuck between the vines if she teleports.

 _Looks like we just have to do straight attacks..._ "Grace, Psybeam!" Grace shot psychic energy rings towards Leafy, but Leafy dodged them easily. Disc gives his command, "Leafy, use Sleep Powder!"

Leafy immediately shot white spores towards Grace, I yelled, "Grace, now! Dodge and use Psybeam on the vines!"

Grace skillfully dodged the spores and shot rings towards the vines. The vines broke due to the power of the psychic rings. Disc hurriedly commanded, "Leafy, surround the battlefield with vines again!"

"Not if we strike first! Grace, Teleport and Psybeam combo!" Grace's teleporting speed is faster than the speed of Leafy spreading vines around the battlefield, she immediately found a spot and shot the rings. Not knowing where the rings were shot, Leafy got hit by the rings and winced in pain of the super effective psychic energy.

"Leafy, use Vine Whip on Grace, full power!"

"Counter with Confusion, full power!"

Leafy shot vines towards Grace and hit her, while Grace focused and threw Leafy into the air. After the attacks, Grace collapsed after getting hit by the physical attack, while Leafy fell onto the ground, unconsious.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" The audience got shocked by the results, but clapped anyways. I got nervous by the condition, it's still anyone's game...

"Let's go, Waves!" He threw another Pokéball and a Pokémon that looks like a whale appeared. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Wailmer, the Ball Whale Pokémon. When it sucks in a large volume of seawater, it becomes like a big, bouncy ball. It eats a ton of food daily.]

 _Good thing there's no seawater here... I'll send out..._ "Let's battle, Ziggs!" Ziggs appeared in the battlefield after I threw his Pokéball, and of course, people doubt about Ziggs' strength.

"Waves, start off with Water Gun!" Waves shot the stream of water towards Ziggs, and I immediately gave my command. "Ziggs, dodge and use Growl!"

Ziggs quickly dodged the stream of water and growled fiercely, but that doesn't seemed to do much to Waves.

"Waves, Rollout on Ziggs, and don't stop!" Waves rolled around the battlefield, similar to how Roxanne's Hardie rolls. _Ziggs can dodge the rolling Waves, but he would be really tired if he have to keep dodging until Waves stops... What should I do..._

 _Rolling... rolling... I have an idea!_

"Ziggs, use Rock Smash on the rolling Waves!" Ziggs looked at me with confusion, but still did my command anyways. He waits for Waves to roll towards him, and hit the rolling waves with his paws.

Just when I thought my plan didn't work, I saw Waves got hit back, he stopped and started spinning in circles. He got confused because of the sudden impact!

"No, Waves, snap out of it!" Waves try to answer Disc, but he just spinned around after trying to stand up. I continued commanding, "Ziggs, finish off Waves with Headbutt, full power!"

Ziggs lowered his head and ran towards the confused Waves. Then, he hit Waves with his head as hard as possible. The confused Waves couldn't reduce the impact and collapsed due to the strong attack and the confusion.

"Waves is unable to battle! Ziggs wins!" The audience are surprised by Ziggs' performance, as he didn't do well last round, but they clapped anyways. I smiled at Ziggs for doing a good job.

"Guess it's now or never! Go, Ghoul!" A creepy looking Pokémon appeared in the battlefield. I scanned with my Pokédex and it said, [Sableye, the Darkness Pokémon. It feeds on gemstone crystals. In darkness, its eyes sparkle with the glitter of jewels.]

"Ziggs, why don't you take a short rest?" Ziggs nodded, and I returned him to his Pokéball. Then, I yelled, "Let's end this, Surfer!" while throwing Surfer's Pokéball, and Surfer came out of his Pokéball, growling to his last foe.

"Ghoul, use Night Shade to start off!" Ghoul immediately made a terrifying mirage that terrified the Turtle Pokémon, making him took some damage.

"Surfer, don't get scared! Use Water Pulse on Ghoul!" Surfer shot water rings towards Ghoul, and he got hit because he is still trying to make the mirage disappear. Ghoul then slowly stood up, ready for more.

"Ghoul, use Bite after finding Surfer's weak spot using Foresight!" _Oh no, if he does find the weak spot, Surfer will take more damage! I gonna think fast!_

"Surfer, ride the waves and use Bite fast!" Surfer immediately use Water Gun, and ride on the waves and rushed towards Ghoul. Ghoul didn't have enough time to locate his weak spot and had to bite Surfer faster. They both bited each other, winced in pain and back off.

"Ghoul, finish him with Night Shade!"

"Surfer, counter with Water Pulse!"

When Ghoul is creating the mirage, Surfer shot water rings towards Ghoul. Surfer got terrified by the mirage and collapsed, unable to move, while Ghoul got hit by the water rings and in confusion, he hit himself and collapsed in the battlefield as well.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! The winner is Lows from Kanto!" I jumped cheerfully, but I stopped when I saw Disc's disappointed expression and became upset. _Maybe I should've let Disc win... I feel so bad now!_

When I was shaking hands with Disc, I slightly apologized, "I'm sorry, Disc..."

Disc shooked his head and gave me a smile. "Don't worry, Lows, you really had improved a lot! I will be watching the finals, be sure to kick Harry's butt!" I nodded with determination. For Disc, I must defeat Harry!

* * *

And after the battle, I looked at the finalists and of course, Harry won. Which means, I'm battling Harry in the finals. _I will try my best to defeat him!_

Suddenly, I saw Harry looking at me with an arrogant look. He then said, "I cannot believe you got to the finals. That makes it an easier challenge for me to win this tournament."

I got angry by his words, but I tried to reply calmly, "Harry, winning or losing is not important, the most important thing is to have fun with your Pokémon." I used the words that my mom and dad advised me.

Harry didn't care about my words and replied back rudely. "Having fun with your Pokémon? Geez, you trainers should learn better. You will never win if you think like that. Now, I'll beat you in the finals to show that your mind is wrong. Terribly wrong..." Then, he left with lightning speed, ignoring me.

Suddenly, I felt a Pokéball shook vigorously. I opened my Pokéball and realized it is Ziggs. He angrily yelled, "What's wrong with Harry?! He is always rude to us and his Pokémon too! How dare him?!" Then, he tried to calm down by stopping his words for a few seconds, and continued, "But, we shall try to ignore his words. I'm sorry that I got mad by his words. We shall assist you to win the battle, Lows."

"Don't worry, Ziggs. No matter if we win or lost, we should go to the restaurant and buy some delicious food to celebrate our bond getting stronger." He nodded with a smile, and I returned him to his Pokéball.

 _Even if I don't really care about winning, I need to let Harry know that his way of treating Pokémon is wrong!_ So, I sat on one of the chairs, thinking of how can I beat Harry.

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter guys! The finals will be up in the next chapter. Will Lows beat Harry or lose? Find out in Chapter 9! :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Ralts, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Confusion, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the quarter finals and the semi finals battles? (I hope you like it! :D)**

 **Will Lows prove Harry's way of treating Pokémon wrong by winning?**


	10. Hoenn 9

**Last chapter, Lows battled his opponents in the quarter finals and the semi finals. After some struggles, he returned from the downfall and defeated Regis and his friend, Disc. And now, he's going to battle Harry, who mocked him for treating his Pokémon nicely. Will Lows prove him wrong in the finals?**

 **Chapter 9 - The Chance to Prove Him Wrong**

 _Alright, so... I only know that Harry has Machop and Marshtomp, and I know nothing else about his other two! Welp, I guess we have to try hard for the win..._

 _No matter if I win or lose, I need to prove him wrong for treating his Pokémon bad, and this is the chance! Lows, you can do it!_

After the resting time is over, I walked back to the battlefield, with Harry on the other side, having a smirk on his face, thinking that he's going to win. I might not win, but it's good to try!

After we're ready, the host came to the center of the battlefield and said, "Welcome back, everyone to the 1 to 2 gym badges championship match! May the two contestants, Harry and Lows show their skills in this battlefield! Let's start... right now!" The audience cheered to us, but I felt that many people was cheering for the "Hoenn Hero" who almost won the Indigo League's Junior Division tournament, Harry.

I tried to ignore the audience cheering for him and threw a Pokéball. "Let's do this, Surfer!" My water type Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, eager to battle.

"Go, Machop!" He sent out Machop, the Superpower Pokémon recognized me and bowed to me, and I nodded at him with a smile. But, I can tell that he still doesn't like battling, or with Harry at least.

"Surfer, start off with Water Gun!" Surfer immediately spit out a stream of water towards Machop, and Harry commanded, "Machop, dodge and use Mach Punch!" He then quickly rushed towards Surfer, but slipped and fell down in the battlefield."

I immediately asked Machop in concern, "Machop, are you okay?" He nodded at me, but his head turned down when Harry shouted at him, "What are you doing, clumsy Machop? Get up and battle!" I got angry by his attitude, while Machop slowly got up, having a sad expression.

I felt like it would be the best to end this off fast. "Sorry Machop... Surfer, use the Water Gun and Water Pulse combo!" Surfer immediately spit out the stream of water, ride on the waves and shot water rings towards Machop. Harry gave his command, "Machop, dodge!" Machop tried to dodge but fell down again. He got hit by the stream of water and the water rings, and no doubt, he collapsed, unable to battle.

"Machop is unable to battle! Surfer wins!" But my upset feelings increased even more when I saw the scars on Machop's right leg.

 _No wonder why he couldn't dodge at all, his right leg got hurt!_ I ran to the Machop and asked, "Machop, are you okay? I'm sorry that the battle got you hurt so much." The Machop shook his head and replied with tears on his face. "Don't...don't worr-" Without finishing his sentence, a red light beamed towards him, and he got send back to his Pokéball.

Harry threw another Pokéball and said, "Go, Torkoal!" He sent out a Pokémon looking like a turtle, but much more bigger than Surfer. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. It burns coal inside its shell. If it is attacked, it belches thick, black smoke and flees.]

 _Why did he use a type disadvantage on Surfer? This might be a trap, I must be careful..._

"Surfer, good job. Return!" I returned Surfer and threw another Pokéball, "Do your best, Ziggs!" The Tiny Raccoon Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, growling at his larger opponent.

"Torkoal, start off with Ember!" Torkoal shot small flames towards Ziggs, and I immediately gave Ziggs my command. "Ziggs, dodge and use Headbutt!" He dodged the flames and lowered his head, rushing towards the Coal Pokémon. Just then, Harry smirked and said, "Torkoal, counter with Body Slam."

Just when Ziggs hit Torkoal with his head, Torkoal fought through the pain and slammed Ziggs hard with his body. Then, Ziggs couldn't reduce the impact and fell onto the ground, but he slowly got up. I concernly asked, "Ziggs, are you okay? Be careful, don't push yourself too hard!" Ziggs nodded, and I commanded, "Ziggs, use Rock Smash!" When Ziggs rushed towards Torkoal to attack, Harry commanded, "Looks like this Zigzagoon is going to faint. Torkoal, finish off with Overheat!"

 _Overheat...?_ Just when I'm thinking, I suddenly saw Torkoal shooting many big fireballs towards Ziggs. Ziggs got nowhere to go and got hit by the fireballs. He winced in pain and collapsed in the battlefield, unconsious.

"Ziggs is unable to battle! Torkoal wins!"

I ran to Ziggs and quickly returned him from his Pokéball to protect him from any harm. After that, I asked Harry angrily, "Ziggs is about to faint already, why did you ask Torkoal to use an attack that is so powerful?! This is ridiculous!"

Harry smirked at me and replied, "Weak Pokémon are just useless, who cares about them anyways?"

I got angry and said, "You will regret saying that! Let's do this, Surfer!" Surfer appeared again from the battlefield, and it seems like he saw everything in his Pokéball, as he is very angry with Harry.

I saw that the Torkoal is exhausted after giving out his powerful attack. He panted hard and I thought this is our chance and said, "Surfer, end this fast with Water Pulse!"

Surfer shot water rings and Torkoal couldn't dodge it because of his slow speed. He then collapsed from the super effective attack.

"Torkoal is unable to battle! Surfer wins!" Although I won this battle, I am still going to be careful in every step I take, because I know that it would be harder from here.

"This should be the end of your luck. Go, Marshtomp!" He then threw a Pokéball and Marshtomp appeared in the battlefield. I scanned the evolved form of Mudkip and the Pokédex said, [Marshtomp, the Mud Fish Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Mudkip. It is at its best when on muddy ground with poor footing. It quickly overwhelms foes struggling in mud.]

 _Let's try the type advantage again..._ I returned Surfer and threw another Pokéball. "Let's win, Woody!" When Woody appeared in the battlefield, he remembered Harry, and angrily growled at him. I petted him to make him calm down while looking at Harry, who stunned a bit for unknown reason, but quickly retained his position.

"Woody, start off with Bullet Seed!" Woody quickly shot five seeds towards the Mud Fish Pokémon, but Marshtomp slightly dodged it. Harry then commanded, "Marshtomp, use Rock Tomb to surround Woody!"

The next scene I saw is Woody getting surrounded by big boulders. I started to panic and thought, _oh no, what do I do?_

Then, I heard Woody shouted to me, "Lows, don't panic! Think of how I can get out!"

 _Alright... Think Lows, think!_ Suddenly, I thought of an idea that might work, but it will be risky... _Well, it's worth a try!_

"Woody, keep using Quick Attack on the boulders until they break!" Woody then kept on running towards the boulders and hit them over and over again. When he finally broke the boulders, I noticed that Woody is very tired.

"Woody, one last shot-" Just before I finished my command, I heard Harry saying, "Marshtomp, unleash your energy!" Then I realized Marshtomp with bright red face rushed towards Woody and gave him a big punch. _Oh no, Marshtomp was charging his energy all along using Bide!_

Then, I saw Woody in the battlefield, trying to stand up, but his last energy is used up and he collapsed.

"Woody is unable to battle! Marshtomp wins!"

I asked worriedly, "Woody, are you okay? Rest up, you did well." Woody used the energy he had left and nodded, and I returned him to his Pokéball.

"Let's avenge our teammate, Surfer!" I threw Surfer's Pokéball, and I realized Surfer didn't rest up enough, but he still gave me a trustful smile. I then commanded, "Surfer, let's ride the waves and use Water Pulse!" He then did the usual tactic and ride on the waves, shooting water rings towards the Mud Fish Pokémon. Marshtomp couldn't react in time and got hit by the rings. He tried to not get confused by shaking his head.

Harry smirked and commanded, "Marshtomp, use Mud Sport to make the battlefield muddy!"

Marshtomp then threw piles on mud and the mud filled the entire battlefield. I then thought of what the Pokédex said: Marshtomp is at his best in muddy areas. _I guess Surfer can't rush towards Marshtomp to attack..._

"Surfer, use Water Pulse!"

"Marshtomp, counter with Mud Shot!"

Surfer shot the water rings towards Marshtomp, while Marshtomp hurled mud towards Surfer. Both Pokémon got hit by the attack, but Surfer couldn't endure the impact of the mud and couldn't battle, while Marshtomp is still standing, panting.

"Surfer is unable to battle! Marshtomp wins!" I returned Surfer and thanked him for his hard work. Then, I started to become very nervous.

 _Marshtomp took out two of my Pokémon in a row, just like Regis' Cotton! What am I to do..._ Then, I felt Grace's Pokéball shook vigorously, as she wanted to avenge her teammates.

 _Well, I did my best, and I have no regrets. Let's do this!_ I determinely thought and yelled, "Let's have fun, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball and she appeared in the battlefield, saying, "Let's try our best, Lows!" I nodded with a smile and commanded, "Grace, use Psybeam on Marshtomp!"

"What a weak move! We should win this with no sweat. Marshtomp, counter with Water Gun!"

When they both release their attacks, I realized that the water seemed to pushed back the psychic energy and hit Grace. Grace winced in pain, but didn't seem to take much damage.

"Grace, use Double Team!" Grace created several illusions but Harry smirked. "Marshtomp, use Mud Shot on all of them!" Marshtomp then threw a big pile of mud towards all of them, and the illusions were hit, but Grace quickly tried dodging the mud. But, I realized that she got hurt by some of the mud.

"I'm sorry Master Lows, I might not be able to defeat him. He's too tough..." _I know that Grace's weakness is taking physical attack, but we can't give up!_

"Just... do your best, alright?" Grace nodded at me, while Harry sarcastically said, "I guess you're going to 'win', weakling. Let's end this. Marshtomp, use Mud Shot!"

"Grace, stay calm! Use Teleport!" Grace teleported away from the mud. And the next thing I see is the angry Grace looking at Harry. _I've... never seen Grace so angry before._

"This is not the way you treat Pokémon, Harry! We are not tools for trainers to win!" I ran to her and petted her, making her calmed down a bit. "I'm sorry Master Lows, I just can't hold back my feelings..."

"Don't worry Grace, I'm also mad with his attitude. Let's prove him wrong by trying our best!" Grace nodded with a smile.

On the other side, Harry ignored Grace's cries and commanded, "Marshtomp, finish this with Water Gun!"

Marshtomp shot a stream of water towards Grace. I didn't have to time to tell her to dodge, but the water is suddenly pushed back by itself. Then, I saw a white glow shining on Grace. The white glow has an powerful force which pushed the water back.

 _Grace is evolving too?!_

After the white glow disappeared, the Feeling Pokémon is looking taller now. The humanoid Pokémon has two green horns on her green hair, and she appeared wearing a tutu. Her red eyes looked at me and smiled.

I scanned her with my Pokédex excitedly and it said, [Kirlia, the Emotion Pokémon. The cheerful spirit of its Trainer gives it energy for its psychokinetic power. It spins and dances when happy.] After the entry, I saw Grace spinning around happily, as she is happy that she evolved.

"Grace, how do you feel? Much stronger?"

"Definitely, Master Lows! We have a better chance now!" She said with a deeper feminine voice.

"I can't let you guys get the advantage! Marshtomp, use-" before he can finish giving his commands, Grace suddenly shot leaves with different colours towards Marshtomp.

 _No way! Grace learned the perfect move that can defeat Marshtomp, Magical Leaf!_

The Mud Fish Pokémon got hit by the super effective attack and finally collapsed.

"Marshtomp is unable to battle! Grace wins!" The audience are getting more excited for the results as the intensity goes higher and higher. They cheered for all of us, but most people cheered for Harry still.

"Grace, try your best with the last opponent, alright?" Grace nodded and stayed in her position.

Harry then threw another Pokéball and said, "I cannot believe a weakling like you will hold up this long. Finish this, Roselia!" A Pokémon with two rose-looking arms with different colours appeared in front of my eyes. I scanned Harry's last Pokémon with my Pokédex. [Roselia, the Thorn Pokémon. Its flowers give off a relaxing fragrance. The stronger its aroma, the healthier the Roselia is.]

"Grace, let's try our best! Grace, use Psybeam!" Grace shot the psychic rings towards Roselia, but she dodged them easily.

Harry then smirked and said, "Roselia, use Magical Leaf!" She then shot leaves with different colours, just like what Grace did before.

"Grace, dodge!" Grace dodged the leaves, but I got shocked when Harry said, "You've fallen into my trap! Stun Spore!" Roselia then shot yellow spores towards Grace, but I thought of an idea that might turn the tides.

"Grace, stay there and fight through the paralysis!" Grace nodded and stayed there. Slowly, sparks emitted from Grace and she tried to fight through the paralysis. But soon, sparks are also emitting from Roselia.

 _Yes, my plan worked! Grace's abilities is Synchronize, so she passes on status problems to her foe!_ _I just hope that she can hold on..._ I can see that Harry is shocked too, but he commanded, "Roselia, finish this with Magical Leaf!"

"Grace, counter with Psybeam!"

The two attacks collided, and formed a huge dust...

* * *

"So, Lows, I thought you made a promise to us before the finals..." Ziggs said with an exciting tone.

"Alright, alright, as I promised, we shall all go to the restaurant and buy delicious food for all of you guys' hard work. But don't order too much!" We all cheered, but we stopped when we saw Harry sending out Machop, and scolding him badly.

"What's wrong with that Harry guy? He already won the tournament, but why is he scolding Machop?" Surfer asked in confusion.

Oh yeah... We didn't actually won, by the way. After the huge dust has faded, Grace collapsed after getting hit by the leaves, while Roselia barely made it. So the winner is Harry, but I'm still proud of my Pokémon.

We heard Harry shouted, "You did terrible throughout this entire tournament! I shouldn't have use you for the tournament!" Machop lowered his head while trying to hold back his tears.

After scolding Machop, Harry threw Machop's Pokéball on the ground and crushed it with his legs. Then, he said, "Get out of here, weak Pokémon. You're no longer my Pokémon!" Machop can't hold back his tears anymore, and he ran away slowly, as he was hurt earlier.

"What did you do to Machop?!" I yelled at Harry angrily. Harry finally noticed me and said, "Oh, it's you, loser. I've released Machop. Who cares about weak Pokémon anyways?"

I got angry and upset at the same time. _I thought I could prove him wrong, but he didn't seem to learn anything at all!_ I still said, "Machop didn't deserve anything to get scolded and released by you!"

Harry sneered. "If you are so concerned with him, then go find him, loser."

"Of course I will, and I will bring him back safely." I then ran towards the direction of where Machop ran.

 _His right leg got hurt, so he shouldn't run far..._ I send out everyone and said, "Alright everyone, let's split into groups and find Machop. Woody and Grace shall go search on the right side, while Surfer, Ziggs and I shall search on the left side. Understand?" They all nodded, and we started searching.

When Surfer, Ziggs and I found nothing and decided to go search for the other two, I saw Woody running towards us and said, "Lo...Lows... We...fou...found..."

I saw him panting because of his fast running. "Woody, take a rest first before talking."

Woody took a short rest and after he's completely recovered, he said, "Lows, we found Machop! His leg is injured and we have to call you to help him!"

We immediately ran to Grace and saw the injured Machop sitting on the floor. I immediately asked, "Are you okay, Machop? Let me take you to the PokéCentre." I carried him to the PokéCentre and asked the nurse to heal him. Then, I waited while thinking of something.

Suddenly, the nurse said, "Lows, Machop has been healed." I thanked the nurse and took Machop. The Machop thanked me and said, "Thanks, Lows... I shall go now, I don't want to hold you back. Goodbye..."

I stopped him and said, "Machop, you didn't hold me back, I was the one who wanted to find you. I knew that you had an injured leg and cannot battle, but Harry really shouldn't do that. When did you injured your leg?"

Machop sheepishly lowered his head. "I got hurt in the quarter finals match in the tournament, but Harry didn't notice and he doesn't understand our language... I'm so clumsy, just like what Harry said..."

I immediately replied, "No, no! You're actually quite good. All you need is some practice with battling."

He suddenly burst into tears. "But I hate battling with Harry! He's always so mean to us!" He then continued, "Harry never complimented us even if we worked hard. When we made a small mistake in battling, he will always scold us after the battle... Battling with him is just a nightmare!"

I got even more angrier at Harry's attitude. "Machop, don't worry, at least you are out of his team now..."

He nodded and said in a sad tone, "Yup, I shall leave now. I'm sorry for bothering you..."

 _Machop can definitely be a strong Pokémon if he is treated the right way. Maybe I should..._

Just when he is about to leave the PokéCentre, I yelled, "Machop, wait! I have something to tell you."

Machop turned his head and asked, "What's... what's wrong, Lows?"

I took a deep breath and asked him, "Machop... would you like to join my team?"

Machop immediately asked in confusion, "Why... why, Lows? I'm just weak and hates battling..."

"I know that you hate battling with Harry, but I know that you can be a strong Pokémon. Why don't you try to battle with me and see how it goes? I will try my best to be responsible as a trainer to raise you well."

Machop is still hesitant. "What if... what if your Pokémon doesn't like me?"

Surfer suddenly said, "I would like to have a new Pokémon friend! We can do many things together!"

Ziggs then continued, "What he means is, we would like you to join our team. We all have our own weaknesses and strengths, and we can accept each other and learn from each other."

After thinking of my suggestion and Ziggs' words, he finally nodded. "I... I would like to try in your team, Lows."

I nodded and asked, "Why don't I call you Power? I think it would suit you." He nodded, liking his new nickname while I threw a Pokéball and yelled, "Welcome to the team, Power!"

The Pokéball caught Power and shook three times. I happily thought, _I will make sure to treat you nicely, Power._

Suddenly, I heard clapping and turned my head towards the clapping sound. It was Disc and he said, "I guess you got Harry's Machop, or your Power now."

I nodded and asked, "Yeah, he is. What are you doing here?"

Disc smiled and replied, "Just wanted to say goodbye before we part our ways."

"Alright then. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon?"

"Yes, Lows! We shall meet each other again somewhere else, and when we meet, we shall battle again."

We then bid farewell and part our ways. I then send out my Pokémon and asked excitedly, "Who is ready to go to Mauville City?"

"We are!" All my five Pokémon yelled with happy jubilation, and we walked to our next destination: Mauville City.

* * *

 **That's it for Chapter 9! Thanks for reading! See ya all in the next chapter :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, moves: Focus Energy, Mach Punch, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Who do you think deserve the win more?**

 **How do you think of Power?**


	11. Hoenn 10

**Lows battled Harry once again in the finals match in the 1 to 2 badges tournament. After the tournament, Lows saw Harry scolding Machop for not doing well and released the Machop. After finding the Machop, Lows decided to add Machop into his team, naming him Power. When Lows and his five Pokémon are walking to Mauville City, they found a mysterious man giving Lows a parcel and ran away, leaving Lows confused. What is the mystery of the man and why did he gave Lows a parcel?**

 **Chapter 10 - The Mysterious Parcel and Team Will**

"Hey look, Lows! Look at that Beautifly over there!" I heard Surfer shouting to me, and when I turned around, I saw a huge Beautifly in front of me, and I immediately turned my head back.

"Surfer, you know that due to that incident, I'm afraid of bug type Pokémon now..." Surfer laughed at my reaction after seeing that Beautifly.

"You know Lows, maybe you should try to take that incident off your mind. It affects your relationship with bug type Pokémon, as they are not bad at all." Ziggs politely said, and I replied, "I tried Ziggs, but I just can't get that thing out of my head. But don't worry, I'll forget it next time.

"Next time? No, no, no, you have to past your fear right here, right now! Lows, try to look at the Beautifly without closing your eyes." Since Surfer is so desperate to remove my fears, what else can I do? So, I took a deep breath and looked at the Beautifly, trembling.

I saw the Beautifly looking at me, but with a very nice smile instead of the evil grin I saw in Petalburg Woods. I am still nervous, but I thought to myself, _Lows, don't be scared, it's just a nice Beautifly looking at you..._

I continued looking at the Beautifly who still kept her lovely smile. She said with a cute voice, "Hello, you are a new face! I sincerely hope you have a wonderful day."

I immediately felt relieved and replied, "Thanks, Beautifly. You have a good day too!" She was shocked about me replying her and knowing her language. "New trainer, how are you able to understand me?"

"Long story short, but yeah, I got an item that allows me to understand you." The Beautifly nodded and said, "I see, have a good day!"

I nodded with a smile and waved my hands before I kept on walking to Mauville. After leaving the Beautifly, Surfer said, "See Lows, it wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Yeah, it wasn't indeed... But don't you dare tell me to do those stuff again!" Surfer chuckled at my words, and we continued our way to Mauville.

Suddenly, we saw a man in black suit running towards us, appeared to be in a hurry. He accidentally knocked over Woody, and when he was about to apologize, he saw me and looked at me like I am his savior.

"Oh, young trainer! Can...can you take this for a few minutes? I...I am in a hurry, meet me in Verdanturf later, alright?" He handed me an ordinary looking parcel, and continued his words. "And yeah... if anyone asks where I am, don't say anything... Alright?" I confusedly nodded, and he ran away at lightning speed towards Verdanturf Town.

 _What a strange guy... Why did he gave me a parcel?_ Just when I'm lost in thought, I suddenly heard Woody said, "That is one weird guy..." I saw him slowly getting up and mumbling.

"Yeah... why did he gave you a parcel anyways? Is something important in there?" Grace asked in confusion.

"Ermm... I don't really know, but yeah, it probably is something important. Maybe we should go back to Verdanturf and meet him-" Power suddenly got shocked by something and hid behind me. I concernly asked, "What's wrong, Power?"

Power used his finger and pointed at two strong looking man. They are walking towards me and they asked, "Hey, young trainer, have you seen a man in black suit? You better tell us fast, or not I'll crush you!"

I got nervous and was about to tell them his location, but I suddenly remembered about him not wanting me to tell anyone his position. So, I immediately swallowed my words and changed my sentence. "I'm... I'm not sure, sir."

After hearing my words, they nodded and walked away, looking for that man. _Something bad must be happening between those man and the black suit guy... Maybe I should go back to Verdanturf and find out._

"Alright guys, let's go back to Verdanturf." They all nodded and we walked back to Verdanturf to meet that man.

* * *

The two man appeared to be gone, but the truth is, they are actually hiding behind a bush, looking at the 10-year-old trainer.

"Hey, this is the guy that messed up our plan in Petalburg Woods, isn't it?" The other man nodded, and the stronger-looking man yelled, "I'll crush him! I'll crush-"

Suddenly, the other man blocked his mouth and said, "Don't yell, Carl. We don't want him to know that we're following him. Besides, we have to get that parcel from him. We'll crush him after we get the parcel. Hehehehehe..."

They followed Lows to Verdanturf, without anyone noticing.

* * *

 _You know, my Pokémon and I just can't stop thinking about what is in this parcel! This is so confusing... Oh well, we'll know what's in it once we asked the man about it._

After some walking, we finally walked back to Verdanturf Town. We saw the black suit man standing beside the entrance of the PokéCentre. He then saw me and immediately ran to me.

"Young trainer, thanks for keeping that parcel safely!" He said gratefully and I handed the parcel to him.

I asked the questions in my brain. "Ermm.. sir, who are you and what is going on? Why did you gave me the parcel and what is in it?"

"Oh, yeah! I was in such a hurry that I didn't even introduce myself! I'm so sorry. I'm Tark, and the parcel contains-" Suddenly, someone is talking to us, interrupting our conversation. "Well, well! Looks like we're right. The trainer is the one holding the parcel. But no use, cause we'll still get it!"

"Wait... wait! Who are you? And why are you looking for the parcel?" I asked nervously and in confusion.

"Well, do you really want to know who am I?" He then took off his T-shirt, and what I see is him wearing a shirt with the word, "W" in the middle. "I am the best of the Team Will Grunts, Posco! Now, hand me that parcel!"

The black suit man immediately ran to me and said, "Save me, and don't let him take that parcel!"

"Well, I don't think that this trainer can handle trouble in two different locations. Hmm, I wonder how Carl's doing with starting the fire in Route 117..."

"You what?!" I yelled in shock, and I immediately thought of the Beautifly. _I must stop that Carl guy! But if I do, the black suit man will be in trouble... I have to think fast..._

After thinking, I have made a decision. "Grace, Woody, you two stay here and protect the man. Ziggs, Surfer and Power, follow me to Route 117." All my Pokémon nodded as response and we separated our ways.

* * *

Ziggs, Surfer, Power and I ran as fast as we can to Route 117. When we finally reached Route 117, all we saw is big flames burning up the grass of the routes. Several Pokémon are wincing in pain from the fire, and I saw the Beautifly we met earlier, stuck in the fire. Then, I saw Carl, who had started the fire.

"What do you think you're doing? Stop that!" I yelled at him, but he didn't seem to get scared by me.

"How can a guy like you stop me? Come and have a Double Battle with me! If you defeated me, I'll go. If you lost, I'll continue the fire!"

"Alright, challenge accepted..." After saying that, I tapped Surfer and whispered, "Surfer, when we're battling, please use Water Gun to extinguish the fire. Fast too!" Surfer nodded and ran towards the fire, without Carl noticing.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side, Posco is still yelling to the man. "Give me the parcel, or not... I'll let my Pokémon handle the job!"

"You shall not touch that man, Posco," Grace said in a calm tone.

"Ermm, Grace... I don't think that that guy can understand us..." Grace realized after hearing Woody and said, "Oh, I guess that's true. Maybe we should just focus on the guy."

Suddenly, Posco threw two Pokéballs and said, "I shall destroy you, old man!"

Two Pokémon large in size appeared in the battlefield. Woody saw them and trembled in fear. "That's... Blaziken, and Swampert..."

The two Pokémon roared at them fiercely, and they looked like they are ready to battle.

"I guess it's now or never, Woody. Let's battle them." Woody nodded at Grace's words, and stand in their position, preparing for a battle.

* * *

Back to our side, while Surfer is putting out the fire, I let Ziggs prepared in the battlefield, but hesitant to let Power out. _I'm not sure if he's ready to battle or not..._

"Power... Do you want to battle?" I concernly asked, and after some time, he nodded his head and said, "I will try my best, Lows."

"Hah, just a bunch of weak Pokémon! My fully evolved Pokémon shall crush you!" Saying that, he threw two Pokéballs and two gigantic Pokémon came out in the battlefield. One of the Pokémon has a big flower on its head, and have two red eyes, while the other looks really similar to Pikachu, but larger in size and his body has a different colour.

I scanned them with my Pokédex and it said, [Vileplume, the Flower Pokémon. It is one of the evolved forms of Gloom and one of the final evolved forms of Oddish. Its petals are the largest in the world. It fiendishly scatters allergy-causing pollen from its petals.] [Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Pikachu and the final evolved form of Pichu. Its electric charges can reach even 100,000 volts. Careless contact can cause even an Indian elephant to faint.]

 _Looks like all of their power are terrifying... I hope that Power and Ziggs can handle them..._ I thought while commanding, "Ziggs, use Growl to reduce their attack while Power, use Focus Energy and use Low Kick on Vileplume!"

Ziggs growled fiercely to the two fully evolved Pokémon, but it doesn't seemed to affect them much. Power focused and his eyes turned red. After that, he immediately ran towards Vileplume and tried to kick the Flower Pokémon.

"Vileplume, fight through the pain and use Poisonpowder!" Vileplume winced in pain of the strong kick, but she shot purple spores towards my fighting type Pokémon. Power winced in pain from the poison.

 _Oh no, I have to do something to cure his poison!_ I hurriedly took the Berry Pots from my backpack and took some Pecha Berries. I threw one of them to Power and said, "Power, eat this! It will make you feel better!" Power got shocked by my action, but nodded and ate the berry. After eating it, he seemed to feel a lot more better. "Thanks, Lows..."

"Who cares if you got cured by the poisoning! Raichu, use Quick Attack, then use Electro Ball!" Raichu then dashed around the battlefield and threw a ball full of electricity towards Ziggs. Ziggs couldn't dodge it and took a lot of damage. I got shocked by how strong the impact is while Carl sneered. "Don't you know? Electro Ball's power depends on how fast the Pokémon is."

"Just because I don't know that, doesn't mean I'll lose! Ziggs, use Headbutt on Vileplume while Power, stay there and don't move until you hear my command!"

"Stay there? Man, you are surely going to lose. Vileplume, counter with Acid while Raichu, use Feint on Power!"

While Ziggs headbutted the Flower Pokémon, she shot several drops of acid towards Ziggs. Ziggs winced in pain, but he quickly recovered.

When Raichu is going to do the attack, I gave my command. "Power, now! Counter with Low Kick!"

Power immediately gave a powerful kick on the running Raichu. Raichu seemed to take more damage. Carl yelled, "How are we losing?! Your Pokémon haven't even evolved! I have fully evolved Pokémon!"

"I don't know how you guys evolved them, but if you evolved them too early, they won't be able to learn more powerful moves! Besides, don't you know that Low Kick's power also depends on the weight of your opponent?"

"Who cares, we will still win!"

"We'll see about that, Carl! Let's do this, Ziggs and Power!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Grace and Woody are standing in their position, preparing to attack.

"You two Pokémon will not stop me! Blaziken, use Ember on Treecko while Swampert, use Water Gun on Kirlia!"

"Woody, be careful!" They gracefully dodged the attack, and Woody jumped and use Bullet Seed on Swampert. Swampert winced in pain of the super effective attack, but is still able to battle.

Grace shot psychic rings towards Blaziken, but Blaziken dodged them easily. Posco then commanded, "Blaziken, use Scratch and Swampert, use Mud Slap!" When Grace heard the words, she got shocked.

 _Something's not right... Not right..._

Suddenly, she heard Woody shouted, "Grace, watch out!" She then saw Blaziken rushing towards her. She couldn't react in time and she thought she would get hit, but suddenly, she got grabbed and the force pushed her away from the attack. When she looked at the direction of the force, she saw Woody there, smiling in relieve.

A small red appeared on Grace's cheeks and she said, "Tha... thanks, Woody. That's really nice of you." Woody blushed at the words and quickly changed the subject. "It's...it's okay... Let's focus on the battle."

Woody then sapped energy from Swampert using Absorb, while Grace used Magical Leaf on Swampert too. After getting hit by two super effective grass type attacks, the gigantic Swampert collapsed. Posco yelled in nervousness, and commanded, "Blaziken, use Ember again!"

Grace got hit by the fire attack, but didn't seem to take much damage. Grace then counter Blaziken with Psybeam, while Woody assisted with Pound. Blaziken seemed to take a lot of damage, but he's not giving up yet.

"Blaziken, finish off with Scratch on that Treecko!" Blaziken jumped high and rushed towards Woody. Woody got shocked by the fast speed of Blaziken and couldn't move. Just when he's going to get attacked, Blaziken suddenly got hit by purple rings. He winced in pain of the powerful attack and collapsed.

Woody then saw Grace standing there, panting but spinning in happiness, as they won the battle. He knew that Grace had saved him just now. He shyly said, "Thanks... Grace."

"You're welcome." She bowed politely, and continued her words. "I just hope that Master Lows, Ziggs, Surfer and Power are okay..."

* * *

"They're tough, Lows." Ziggs suddenly said while panting, "They are not giving up easily, despite the weak moves they have."

I petted him and said, "Don't worry Ziggs, you do your best! Power too!" Power stunned at my words of encouragement, but he nodded his head after a few seconds.

"Alright... Ziggs, use Headbutt on Vileplume, full power! Power, use Focus Energy, then Low Kick on Raichu!"

"Vileplume, finish Zigzagoon with Acid, Raichu, counter with Thundershock!"

Ziggs lowered his head and rushed towards Vileplume, ready to give out his full attack. Power focused and rushed towards Raichu, giving out a strong kick to the heavy Mouse Pokémon. Vileplume shot the acid just in time to hit Ziggs, but still got hit by the headbutt. Raichu tried to ignore the pain and shot electricity from his cheeks. All the attacks formed a huge dust, making us unable to see what the results are.

What we see next after the dust faded is all four Pokémon collapsed in the battlefield. After seeing the results, Carl returned his Pokémon and yelled, "Looks like it's a tie! I guess I'll crush you myself-"

"Not so fast! I shall beat you!" Surfer suddenly appeared beside me, and spit out a stream of water towards Carl. The Team Will Grunt couldn't react in time and got flushed away along the stream. Before he got flushed away from the route, I heard him screaming, "I shall...gulp...crush you next...gulp...time!"

I felt relieved and thanked Surfer. "Thanks, Surfer. How's the progress on putting out the fire?"

"It's all good, Lows! There is still smoke, but overall it should be fine."

I then ran to the collapsed Ziggs and Power, and gave them healing berries. After eating them slowly, they felt better and stood up. "Are you two okay?"

Ziggs nodded and said, "I'm all better now, thank you for your concern." Power then said excitedly, "All good, Lows! This is actually my first time to taste the fun of battling! I guess it's because I'm with you, Lows... Thank you!"

I petted them both and smiled. "You all did really well. Now, let's go back to see if the two are okay."

* * *

When I got back to the entrance of the PokéCentre, no one is there. I felt nervous and thought, _Oh no, have they failed to protect the man?_ I opened the PokéCentre door and walked in. When I looked to my left, I saw the man thanking Woody and Grace and prasing them, making them blushed a little bit.

Woody saw us and yelled, "Lows, over here! I have so much to tell you!" He then made a recap on what happened just now. My smile became wider as I heard more of how the battle went. _Boy, they sure did well there..._

After he finished talking, I praised the two. "Nice work, you two! You all seemed to know how to help each other and win battles. Great job!"

Grace suddenly came and said, "Lows, they don't seemed to have strong moves... What's going on?"

I replied calmly, "It's probably because they evolved them too quickly. I don't know how they got evolved, using some weird way or what, but they will not learn many moves if they evolved too quickly. That's what I've learned from my sister. Also, forcing Pokémon to evolve faster is not the way to treat Pokémon. That's why I want you guys to evolve when the right time comes. I don't want to force you guys to do something that you guys feel troublesome."

They smiled in happiness after hearing my way of treating them and we had a group hug together. After the group hug, Surfer suddenly had a question. "Lows, you said you have a sister? I've never seen your sister before!"

"Yeah, I'll tell you more about her... soon." I turned to the man and asked, "Now, can you tell me what is in the parcel now, sir? I hope you don't mind."

"No, no worries! I will tell you since you look nice, and you saved me from those grunts! In the parcel, it contains the important plan of an item that can locate Legendary Pokémon."

"Legendary Pokémon?! Technology is astounding!"

"Yes, we have cooperated with the worker team of the Weather Institute to indicate heavy rains and hot weathers. You see, I finally finished the entire plan for the item. I was going to give it to Devon Corporation, but two grunts from Team Will stalked me to here, so I have to give it to you."

"Wait, what is Team Will? I've been wanting to ask this question for a while."

"Oh, Team Will is a team created after Team Magma and Team Aqua disbanded. They said that they have the will to rule the world, and everyone will have to listen to Team Will one day. To rule the world, they think that catching the Legendary Pokémon will be one of the best ways to do so. But, I'm glad that they didn't steal the plan, because they can be the first one to get the Legendary Pokémon!"

"Wait, why did you guys want to invent the item in the first place?"

"We invented this item because there are actually several Legendary Pokémon with the same species in this world, but no one's yet to find them. So if we get to make the item, everyone would have a chance to catch the Legendary Pokémon. Therefore, if any teams like Team Will tries to catch the Legendary Pokémon, someone can stop them as well."

"I see, guess that's a good thing to do..."

"It sure is! Well, I should go back to Devon before those thugs come back for the plan. I shall go now, thanks for the help, trainer!"

"Goodbye, Tark." He bowed politely, and we bid farewell before he went into Rusturf Tunnel. _I guess we should go to Mauville again..._

* * *

In the Team Will Hideout, a man angrily smashed the table using his hand. "This guy, this guy! He's really messing with Team Will. He shall not be lucky next time..."

Suddenly, a grunt came to him and asked, "Boss, should we start plan B?"

"Yes, start Plan B. This time, no one shall stop Team Will... Muahahahaha!"

* * *

After healing my Pokémon, I sent them out and told them that I shall walk to Mauville with them staying in their Pokéballs, because they must be tired from the battles. They agreed and I returned them to their Pokéballs. _Ah, my Pokémon are so understanding..._

I walked to Mauville, and luckily no other hard "obstacles" are on the way. On the way, I saw that there is no smoke anymore, and I found a Beautifly that looks similar, or should I say, the same Beautifly from before. Seeing me, she smiled and said, "Thanks for your help, Lows. May your journey be safe."

"You're welcome, and thank you for the words. I hope that we can meet again."

She nodded and I continued walking to Mauville after bidding farewell. After a few minutes of walking, I saw a path made of white rocks and I looked up, and saw all the modern buildings, a nicely-designed gym, and a place that looks like a casino...

 _Finally, I've reached Mauville City!_

* * *

 **Oh wow, we've reached 10 chapters already! Even though I did not get much views, I still had a lot of fun writing it. Firstly, I really like to thank two people that supported me throughout the entire story. They always gave me opinions and commented nice ideas in my story. Thank you so much,** **_Gokukrish_** **and** _ **flblaziken**_ **, I hope that I can continue to satisfy you all. Anyways, thank you to everyone who read my story, and see you all in the next chapter! :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, moves: Focus Energy, Mach Punch, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think is Plan B, the plan that Team Will will use to strike again?**

 **Why did Lows' sister never showed up in the story? (For now)**

 **How do you think of the technology of Devon, and is their motive to invent the product right?**


	12. Hoenn 11

**Last chapter, on their way to Mauville, they received a parcel from a mysterious man called Tark, and realized that a villain team called Team Will were after the parcel. After defeating the grunts, Lows continued his journey and reached Mauville. What will he find in Mauville?**

 **Chapter 11 - The Battle With An Old Friend**

"Lows, this is such a cool city!" After sending my Pokémon out, everyone looked at the modern city and were amazed, and after a long time, Surfer spoke out everyone's minds. Immediately after Surfer's words, everyone excitedly went into an outburst.

"Lows, there are so many buildings that I didn't see before! What's this?"

"There's even a casino? Even though we shouldn't go there, it's really well-designed!"

"Look at that dreamy gym... Looking at its design, it sure looks 'zappy'!"

"Okay everyone, calm down for a second. We can talk about that later, but right now, we should go ask if the PokéCentre still has room for us. It is getting pretty late." They all nodded at me, and I returned them and went to the PokéCentre. I politely asked the nurse, "Excuse me, is there any room for tonight? We would like to book a room."

The nurse smiled at me and said, "Of course! There are still plenty of rooms left." I booked a room and after that, I thanked the nurse and I send out my Pokémon and asked, "Are you guys ready to explore around Mauville?"

"We sure are!" After agreeing my suggestion, we all ran towards the door of the PokéCentre. When I was going to open the door, the door suddenly opened by itself. I couldn't stop in time and bumped into a man. I immediately got back up and said, "Sorry, sir!"

After I actually get to look at him, he is actually quite an old man, with normal wearing and still has his wide smile after getting bumped into. He laughed and said, "Hahaha! It's okay, young man. It is actually very amazing to look at energetic trainers like you! Hahahaha!"

Suddenly, I heard the nurse immediately stood up and said, "Good evening, Mr Wattson! What are you doing here?"

"I'm just taking a look here to see if anything's fine, that's all." He turned back to me, smiling, while I got all amazed and embarassed at the same time.

 _Wow... so this is the gym leader in Mauville City... But how am I so dumb! This is the second time that I didn't recognize the gym leaders here!_

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Leader Wattson!" He nodded with a smile and said, "Now, trainer, didn't I said that I'm okay with it? You're surely a polite one... Hahaha!" He then realised something and asked, "Since you called me a 'leader', that means that you wanted to challenge my gym?"

I nodded, and he said, "Well, well! I'll be looking forward to battle you soon. Maybe tomorrow morning?" I agreed his suggestion, and he said, "Very well! I shall be meeting you tomorrow! Hahaha!" Saying that, he left the PokéCentre, with me still standing there. I stood there, wandered off for a while until Ziggs called me, "Lows, is there a problem?"

I immediately realised I'm still at the door and I quickly ran out the PokéCentre with my Pokémon. After that, I gave Ziggs a smile and said, "No worries, Ziggs. I'm just thinking of how the gym leader meet me first every time and I didn't recognize them. Now, why don't we explore first before preparing for our gym battle tomorrow?"

My Pokémon nodded excitedly, and we quickly explored around the city. Besides the usual PokéCentre and PokéMart, there is also a very nice casino, and it is always crowded (I didn't go into it, but I definitely saw many people outside pushing each other to get in).

Besides that, opposite the casino is the well designed gym, with yellow stripes surrounding the walls of the entrance in a lightning pattern. Everyone can tell that this is an electric type gym.

After looking at a few tall buildings, I asked my Pokémon, "We should go check out Wattson's details of battling. Let's go!" They agreed and I returned them back to their Pokéballs, and ran back to my room in the PokéCentre and opened up the computer. I then searched for Wattson's battling style and Pokémon.

 _Alright, based on what I researched... Wattson is the Mauville Gym Leader that specialized in Electric type Pokémon. His main Pokémon is Manectric, and his battles are 4 on 4 single battles. It also said that his gym has a special puzzle to pass through. Wonder what that is..._

I'm not that nervous with this battle, as I've been through it already before my first gym battle.

"So... Lows, since it's still not that late, why don't we go out and train?" Woody asked in confusion, as it is only 9pm right now.

"I was going to ask you guys to train, but you know what? We can just stay here and do our things." Everyone got shocked by my words, but I quickly continued, "I didn't want you guys to train too hard before the gym battle. I believe in you all and you all will definitely do well. Well, any volunteers for tomorrow's gym battle?"

Surfer raised up his hand and I thought he's a volunteer, but he said, "Lows, I don't think I'll be participating in the gym battle. Let the others have a chance."

Another gasp of shock appeared in the room. Power asked Surfer, "Surfer... Why are you doing that? Don't you want to battle?"

"Well, of course I do! But I do have the type disadvantage towards Electric type Pokémon, so it is best to let you guys battle. Be sure to win it!" The Pokémon nodded as a response, while I smiled at Surfer. _Surfer is really acting like the leader here... But it doesn't seem to be a bad thing at all._

"Alright, seems like that is settled, what do you guys want to do tonight?"

"I want to watch TV, Lows! Can we open it? Please, please, please..." _I really had to open the TV, or not Surfer just won't stop begging..._

The TV broadcasted live news about gym battle results and the top trainers who had the best progress on getting the most gym badges. The reporter said, "As the Hoenn League Year 2016 just started, not many trainers obtained too many badges. The trainer who is currently on the lead is Harry, the son of Gym Leader Brawly. He just recently got his third badge." Harry's face appeared on the TV screen. "His strengthness in battles is amazing and well-planned battling strategies. As the trainer who swoop the trainers and being the victor of the Junior Division tournament in the Indigo League, this trainer is currently everyone's bet to win this year league and get the chance to challenge Brendan."

 _Harry... Harry... Even the reporter has to talk about him. Why don't you show him his "amazing" attitude towards his Pokémon, sir?_

The reporter then stopped a bit and continued, "Next up, we have the famous singer and actress, Selma." Harry's face immediately disappeared, replaced by Selma's face. "This sixteen-year-old girl is not going to fall behind Harry that easily. With also three badges, she challenges the gym leaders in the city whenever she sings there in a concert. Her Pokémon are all adorable and cute, and the weird but interesting fact is, all of their Pokémon know the move Sing, which I guess... kind of make sense. Haha!"

 _What a weird trainer... If I met her, I definitely do not want a battle..._

"Last but not least, we have the special student of Leap High, Oscor." Another boy's face with spiky hair appeared on the screen. "This seventeen-year-old boy learnt all the knowledge you need in this top school in the Hoenn region: Type advantages and disadvantages, berries that heal status problems and many more. He is also one of the top students in the school. With two badges, he plans to challenge the Hoenn League after his graduation in Leap High. His Pokémon are various in types, and with his Pokémon's combination, no Pokémon can beat them."

 _Top student in school... Reminds me of a guy in my school in Kanto that just brags about his amazing results... Hopefully, he's not like that too._

The reporter then stopped for a few seconds and continued, "We'll show you the top ten trainers on their progress in this list. That is it for today, thank you for watching!" The reporter bowed politely, and a list appeared, showing the trainers' name and how many badges had they obtained. To my surprise, Cassie and Disc seemed to get in the list too. _I still have a lot to catch up..._

After the news ended, I heard Grace saying, "Master Lows, did we eat yet? It's already 9:30 now, but we forgot to eat."

Oh, yeah! We forgot to eat, how can I forget such a thing? Thinking that, I told my Pokémon, "You guys continue watching TV, I'm going to make something to eat." They nodded and continued watching TV, while I go to the kitchen and took out my Berry Pots. Later, I took the ingredients I wanted and started cooking.

I sliced some Cheri Berries, and fried them along with the Tamato Berries. After that is done, I used Pecha Berries and Aspear Berries to make a salad.

After I'm finished preparing a small dinner, I took the dishes to them. "Here you go, I hope you guys like it!"

They looked at me with a shocked face. "Lows, how do you learn to cook? You're still pretty young..."

I chuckled and said, "My parents always go out for work pretty early, so I have to cook for myself to eat. I've learnt cooking since I was 6. Anyways, let's start our meal!"

Overall, the meal wasn't that bad for them, but I saw Power's face turning red. I concernly asked, "Power, are you okay?"

Power shook his head and replied, "Nothing, Lows... It's just that the fried Cheri and Tamato Berries are too spicy for me..." Saying that, he coughed several times again.

I immediately took some water and gave it to Power. "I'll make something for you." I went to the kitchen and cooked some Bluk Berries. I quickly gave a serving to Power. Power ate it and his red face slowly returned to normal.

"Tha...thanks, Lows." After we finished the meal, we continued watching intense Pokémon battles from other regions. The most memorable battle for me is the battle between the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia and the Johto Champion, Gold. In the end, Cynthia's Garchomp barely took out Gold's Typhlosion and won the battle. It was so intense, that we were just focused on the TV screen for the entire battle. After an hour of watching TV, we went to sleep for tomorrow.

* * *

"Ah... That is a good night sleep. Let me look at the time now..." Hmm, it's only 7am! Might as well prepare before going to the gym.

After preparing, I called my Pokémon up. "Guys... It's time to wake up!"

Everyone woke up immediately except Surfer. Surfer sleepily asked, "Lows, I thought I don't need to battle..."

I replied, "Even though you are not battling, you can still cheer for us." Surfer nodded and slowly got up from his bed, and after a nice breakfast, we walked towards the gym. Turns out that we we're just in time for the gym battle.

When I opened the door, I heard a familiar voice saying, "Good job, Fire! Let's work harder next time!" After the person turned to me, she is shocked for sure.

"Hey, Cassie... What's up?" I said after recognizing her.

"I've been doing pretty well! I just got my third gym badge from Wattson. How about you?"

I sheepishly rubbed my head and said, "I've only got one badge. I'm going to challenge Wattson later."

Slowly, we walked towards an open field. "Oh, is that so? Well, why don't we have a battle, as your practice?"

I got shocked by her suggestion and immediately replied, "No, no! You've already got three badges, so you should be pretty strong now..."

Cassie blushed slightly but she said, "Badges doesn't matter, Lows. The most important thing is about our own abilities as a trainer. Now, Lows, I challenge you to a battle!" She took a Pokéball out and faced it towards me.

 _Well, it's worth a try._ I took out a Pokéball and said, "Alright, let's have a set of three singles format battle. Who gets the most points win."

"Alright, it's time to battle, Bubbles!" She threw her Pokéball and a mouse-looking Pokémon appeared on the field. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Marill, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Azurill. The end of its tail serves as a buoy that keeps it from drowning, even in a vicious current.]

"Let's have fun, Power!" I threw Power's Pokéball and my fighting type Pokémon appeared in the field.

"I guess you can have the first move, Lows." After hearing that, I nodded with a smile and commanded, "Power, Focus Energy!" Power immediately focused in his position.

Cassie smiled at my command towards Power and said, "Bubbles, use Water Gun on Power's face, and use Rollout!" Bubbles then spit out water to Power's face, making him unable to see the way. After that, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon started rolling herself and attacked Power.

I can see that Power is panicking and I encouraged him. "Power, don't panic! After getting your direction right, use Mach Punch on the Rollout!" After hearing my words of encouragement, Power calmed down and tried to sense where Bubbles is. After he got his direction, he quickly gave Bubbles a punch. Because of the Focus Energy, the impact seemed to increase and Bubbles stopped the Rollout, panting.

"Power, finish off with Karate Chop!" Seeing that the situation is good for us, I commanded. Power then rushed towards the tired Bubbles and slashed her with his arm, knocking her out.

"Well played, Lows. Thanks for your help, Bubbles." She returned Bubbles after thanking her.

"Sorry, I didn't expect Power to be that strong!" I said while patting Power's head as a praise. He smiled at me as a response.

"It's okay, to be honest, it is amazing to see him perform like that. I guess that's 1 to 0!" Saying that, she took another Pokéball and threw it. "Let's rock the stage, Tad!" A Pokémon with a lilypad on its head and it is mostly covered with green colour. I scanned it using my Pokédex as usual. [Lombre, the Jolly Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Lotad. It lives at the water's edge where it is sunny. It sleeps on a bed of water grass by day and becomes active at night.]

"What will you choose, Lows?"

I took out a Pokéball and determinely said, "I choose you, Ziggs!"

Ziggs appeared in the battlefield, ready to battle. Cassie then said, "I guess I'll have the first move. Tad, use Fake Out!" Tad rushed towards Ziggs and striked Ziggs with the move. Ziggs flinched and couldn't use the next move.

"Fake Out is a move that can only be used as the first move. But the advantage is, this move will strike first and the foe will flinch if it was hit by that move." Cassie said with a confident tone and continued, "Tad, use Bubblebeam!"

"Ziggs, dodge and use Headbutt!" Ziggs dodged the bubbles and rushed towards Tad to send his attack. Just when Ziggs is going to hit Tad, Cassie yelled, "Tad, use Nature Power!"

 _Nature... Power?_

Just when I'm thinking, the Jolly Pokémon suddenly shot star rays towards Ziggs. Ziggs is unable to dodge the star rays and winced in pain. He then stood up, panting.

"Looks like you don't know what Nature Power is," Cassie said while looking at my confused face, "Nature Power is a move that depends of the nature condition. Its attack move changes in different natures."

"Hmm, interesting move!" I said and asked Ziggs, "Ziggs, are you still able to battle?"

"I shall try my best, Lows..."

"Alright then, Ziggs, use Rock Smash!"

Cassie then commanded confidently, "Tad, finish off with Fury Swipes!"

Ziggs rushed towards Tad and gave him a strong punch. Just when I thought the situation is going to change, Tad suddenly used his claws and scratched Ziggs five times. After the attack, Ziggs with a few scars collapsed on the battlefield.

"Ziggs, are you okay? I'm sorry I can't let you win." I worriedly said, and Ziggs replied with a sad tone, "Don't worry Lows, this is not my first time losing anyways..." I got confused by his sentence, but I still said, "Ziggs, thanks for your effort, have a good rest."

I returned him to his Pokéball and said to Cassie, "Guess this next battle will conclude everything. You can send out your Pokémon first."

"Alright then. Time to do your best, Fire!" She then threw a Pokéball, and a Pokémon slightly different look than the Fire I seen before appeared in the battlefield. I scanned the Pokémon with my Pokédex as usual. [Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Charmander. It lashes about with its tail to knock down its foe. It then tears up the fallen opponent with sharp claws.]

"So, I guess Fire evolved... When did he evolve?"

"He evolved when we we're battling Brawly, the Dewford Gym Leader. Boy, he sure is a strong warrior in battles! I hope you're ready for him."

 _What should I choose? I would choose Surfer, but he is not going to battle Wattson, so there's really no point of sending him out. I guess it's up to..._

"Let's win, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball, and she spinned around the battlefield, happy to battle.

"Hmm, interesting choice. I thought you're surely going to choose Surfer."

"I was, but he's not battling Wattson today, so I wanted the others to train."

"Guess that's a good reason," Cassie replied with a smile and commanded, "But you will not endure Fire's burns! Fire, use Flamethrower!"

After hearing his trainer's command, he shouted in excitement, "Yeah, time to burn!" And a large stream of fire bursted out from his mouth.

I immediately commanded, "Grace, counter with Magical Leaf!" She tried to shot the leaves to Fire, but the hot Flamethrower just burned the leaves into ashes and hit Grace. Luckily, Grace is more capable at taking special attacks, so she didn't take much damage.

"Grace, stay there for now!" Grace was shocked by my command, but still stood there anyways.

"Now it's our chance! Fire, use Metal Claw!" Fire's claws begin to glow silver, and he rushed towards Grace."

Just when Fire's going to send his attack, I shouted, "Now! Grace, teleport away and use Psybeam!"

Grace smiled and teleported away before the Flame Pokémon can send out his attack. In confusion, Fire got hit by Grace's psychic rings. He fell onto the ground, but he got back up, panting.

"Fire, use Slash!"

"Grace, counter with Psybeam!"

Fire used his sharp claws and slashed Grace, while Grace shot the psychic rings towards Fire. They all got pushed back by the attacks, and they were all panting hard.

"One last shot, Grace! Use Psybeam again!"

"Fire, finish her off with Flamethrower!"

Fire shot a large stream of fire towards Grace, while the psychic rings traveled through the flame and hit Fire. The huge impact of the Flamethrower hit Grace, and both Pokémon winced in pain and collapsed.

"Grace, are you okay?" I ran to Grace and she replied, "Don't worry, Master Lows. Just tired from the battle..."

"Take a rest, Grace. Thanks for your effort." I returned Grace and saw that Cassie is also thanking her Pokémon and returned Fire. I asked, "So, who exactly won the battle?"

"I'm not sure. Let's call it a tie for today."

I shook hands with Cassie and chuckled, "Yup, let's just not take this into an argument for 2 hours..."

"I think I'm going to watch your battle with Wattson. But first, let's go and heal our Pokémon, shall we?"

I agreed to Cassie, and we ran to the PokéCentre before battling Wattson. _Boy, I wonder what's going to happen in the gym battle..._

* * *

 **Will Lows win the battle against Wattson or end up in defeat? Find out next time :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, moves: Focus Energy, Mach Punch, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Which trainer in the TV News would you want to see in the future?**

 **How do you feel about Cassie's return?**

 **How will Lows do in the battle?**


	13. Hoenn 12

**After accidentally meeting Wattson in the PokéCentre, Lows decided to challenge his gym the next day. However, he met his old friend, Cassie and had a practice battle with Cassie. How will Lows do in the battle with Wattson?**

 **Chapter 12 - The Bitterness, The Doubts**

When we finished healing our Pokémon, Cassie and I walked to the gym. While we we're walking to the gym, I curiously asked, "Cassie, is Wattson hard to defeat?"

Cassie chuckled and replied, "It was hard at first, but if you keep going, it gets easier and easier. You can do it, Lows!"

I nodded in determination, and we reached the gym. I opened the door and saw a door leading to a room, which a guard at the door. I assumed that the door leads to the battlefield.

"Well, I'll be watching you in the arena seat with Surfer! Good luck, Lows!" Cassie said while opening a door on my right hand side, which leads to the arena seat. She closed the door and left the entrance with Surfer.

"Since there is no one currently battling Wattson, you can get in. Please take care of your own safety." The guard said while opening the door. I thanked the guard and walked into the battlefield. But this battlefield wasn't anything I've seen before.

When I walked in, I did see the gym leader at the opposite side. When I'm about to walk towards him, I was suddenly shocked by a small bolt of electricity, and I quickly backed away.

"You think this battle will be that easy to get? Hahahahaha! Well, I'm giving every trainer a small task! In 10 minutes, you will have to finish a maze... full with walls of electricity! Can you do it? Hahahahaha!"

Oh, no... Do I really need to do this? Without any choice, I tried to finish the maze using the time I have. After a few zaps, I finally finished the maze, but I'm not too sure if I finished the maze in time.

"Well, well... Let's see... 9 minutes and 20 seconds! Just in time too... Amazing! Hahaha!" I heaved a sigh of relief, but that also means that I'll be battling him now.

"Alright, you're worthy to be my challenger! Now move back a bit to start the battle!" I did what Wattson asked me to do, and the referee announced, "This battle will be a four on four single battles. The challenger is able to switch his Pokémon and have the first move. When the opponent's four Pokémon are unable to battle, the winner is decided. Do you agree to the rules, Lows from Kanto?" I nodded and the nervousness is coming back again.

"Alright, please send out your first Pokémon, Lows from Kanto!" I started thinking about what Pokémon I should use. After a bit of thinking, I had made a decision.

I took out a Pokéball from my belt and yelled, "I choose you, Woody!" Woody appeared in the battlefield, eager to start.

"Interesting choice," Wattson said while taking a Pokéball out of his belt. "Let's go, Bomber!" He then threw the Pokéball and the Pokémon that appeared is Voltorb, the Ball Pokémon. Woody saw the Pokémon and slightly jumped, as he had bad experience with Voltorb before.

"Woody, I'll do my best to make sure you don't get hurt badly, alright?" Woody nodded nervously, and I commanded, "Woody, Bullet Seed!"

"Woody immediately shot seeds to Bomber, but the Ball Pokémon dodged them easily. Wattson then commanded, "Bomber, use Sonicboom!"

Bomber nodded and shot a sharp wave of white energy towards Woody. The sharp wave hit him easily as it was hard to see where the sharp wave came from.

"Woody, Absorb!" Woody then tried his best to sap as much energy as possible from Bomber. Wattson then said, "Bomber, use Rollout and roll around Woody!"

Bomber then started rolling around Woody. Slowly but surely, the ball Pokémon became larger and is ready to attack Woody. I immediately thought of an idea and yelled, "Woody, use Bullet Seed around you, and dodge when Bomber's going to attack!"

Woody immediately shot seeds around him, some of them hitting Bomber. When I thought that Bomber is going to crush Woody when the time is ready, Wattson suddenly commanded, "You've fallen into our trap! Bomber, use Shock Wave!"

With almost immediately, Bomber charged a strong wave of electricity and released it on Woody. Woody winced in pain, but his grass type reduced the impact.

"Now! Bomber, use Rollout on Woody!" Bomber immediately rolled towards Woody and he is already a big boulder. Woody tried to use Bullet Seed on him but the Ball Pokémon is not slowing down and hit the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Due to the strong impact, Woody collapsed and couldn't move.

"Woody is unable to battle! Bomber wins!" I got nervous by the loss, but I knew that Bomber is tired too, so there's still a chance.

"This is just the beginning, Wattson! We'll win the badge!"

"Hahaha! I love your spirit, but I shall try my best too!"

* * *

After a while, Grace took out Bomber and Wattson's Electrike, Bolt. After that, she got knocked out by a strong Magnet Bomb attack from Wattson's Magneton, Radar. After a collision of moves, both Power and Radar collapsed on the battlefield, unable to move.

"Both Power and Radar are unable to battle. Both gym leader and challenger, please send out your last Pokémon."

"Alright, it's all up to you, Ziggs!" I threw Ziggs' Pokéball and the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, but I noticed that he is kind of scared. I comforted him by saying, "Ziggs, just do your best. I know that you're nervous, but don't give up."

Ziggs nodded and said, "I shall be careful in every step."

Wattson also threw a Pokéball while saying, "It's now or never, Thunder!" Then, a cool looking Pokémon appeared in the battlefield. Its body is mainly blue with a spiky, yellow mane on its head and yellow tufts of fur on its haunches and around its front feet. I scanned it with my Pokédex. [Manectric, the Discharge Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Electrike.] The Pokédex continued, [It rarely appears before people. It is said to nest where lightning has fallen.]

"You can do it, Lows! Go for it!" I heard Cassie cheering for me on the arena seat, smiling at me, while Surfer yelled, "Ziggs, beat that last Pokémon!" I nodded and smiled back at them.

"Ziggs, use Rock Smash!" Ziggs rushed towards Thunder and tried to crush him with his paws, but Thunder didn't take much damage from the attack.

"Thunder, use Quick Attack, then Shock Wave!" Thunder dashed towards Ziggs at lightning speed, and released electricity on Ziggs. Ziggs took a huge impact from the strong electricity, but his will is not giving up just yet.

"Ziggs, use Headbutt on Thunder!"

"Sorry Lows. Thunder, finish him off with Thunderbolt!"

When Ziggs rushed towards Thunder to give out his attack, Thunder shot bolts of electricity towards Ziggs, and the bolts of electricity are so bright, that I can't see anything...

* * *

I walked away from the gym, with Cassie behind me.

"Lows, are you-"

"I'm fine, don't worry. I just needed some time for myself. Why don't... you explore in Mauville? I'll... I'll be fine on my own."

"O... okay then, be careful." Cassie said and sighed, and walked towards the east of Mauville. I then slowly walked back to the PokéCentre, even though I don't even know how did I managed to get back there. In my room, I thought of the battle again.

After I can see properly, without any chance, Ziggs fainted in the battlefield.

"Ziggs is unable to battle! Thunder wins! The winner goes to Wattson the gym leader!"

After thanking Ziggs, I was about to return him, but the gym leader walked to me and shook hands with me, saying, "You did well, young trainer. I'm looking forward to battle you again."

I forced a smile, hiding my bitterness and said, "Y-yeah, I'll definitely beat you the next time we meet."

Wattson then looked at Ziggs and gave some advice. "Your Ziggs surely tried his best in the battlefield. But to be honest, he's too frail. He needs to be stronger to be a good competitor." I nodded, and left the gym.

And there's that. I lost, and the bitterness is coming back to me again when I thought of it. I tried to forget about it but the bitterness slowly turned into doubt. _Am I not capable enough to be a good trainer? Had I not done well to be a responsible trainer? Should I... just give up?_

When I'm lost in thought, my Pokégear suddenly rang. I answered the call and it was Cassie speaking. "Lows, are you okay?"

I can't help but just said my thoughts to Cassie. "I'm starting to doubt about myself. Am I not capable to be a strong trainer? I'm so far behind compared to you guys..."

Cassie replied with a serious tone. "Look Lows, at one time, I also kept on losing and losing. I had the same doubt as you had before. But, a trainer appeared and told me that success is not achieved only by winning. It's about loving your Pokémon and trusting them. Since then, I began to trust them in every battle and even if we lost sometimes, I never had that doubt feeling anymore and always do our best to improve. Somehow, this worked to me, and I think this will work to you, too."

My mood immediately brighten up after hearing the advice. _Cassie's right! I shall never doubt about myself and my Pokémon. We should also think of how can we improve, not just sitting here, having doubts on myself!_

I replied to Cassie with a determined voice, "Well, well! I think I got what you mean. You know what, Cassie?"

"What?"

"You're actually smart sometimes!"

"Grrr..."

"But seriously, thank you for the advice, it really helps."

"No problem. Well I'm looking forward to watch your rematch with Wattson! Call me when you're ready again!"

"Alright, see ya!"

After the call ended, I sent out all my Pokémon in the room and gave my command, "Alright everyone, even though we didn't win today, you guys still did well out there. But I think it's time we set up a training routine. That way, we can fix our weaknesses and we can be stronger and better. Understand?" They all nodded, and we discussed about the time that we train and which category are we training. The discussion seemed to go well, but the only problem is, Ziggs seemed to be more quiet than usual.

"Ziggs, are you okay?" I tried to look at him, but he just looked into another direction, hesitant to look at me.

"What's wrong, Ziggs? You can tell us." Surfer asked Ziggs concernly, and when I finally get to see Ziggs, I saw him lowering down his head, but I can still see the tears in his eyes.

"I'm... I'm sorry Lows, but I believe that I should leave the team..." What he said really shocked us. He then continued after he teared up some more. "I'm... I'm not satisfied with my performance in the latest battles. I can't even get the Pokémon to be tired at all. First is your friend's Tad, and now it's Thunder. I'm currently the weakest in the team, and I don't want to hold you guys back..."

He then continued his words saying, "I remember some of my friends in Route 101 were giving up to find their own trainers. However, I don't want to be like them, so I tried to find a trainer that I wanted, that's you. But, I can't seem to battle well in your team. I just tried and tried, but I can't change the fact that I'm just weak. I even messed up the gym battle today. Harry's right in the beginning..."

"No, he's not right... Your not weak, despite what everyone said. You still remembered the first gym battle we had? I couldn't have get the badge without you." I stopped and continued, "And also, you did a great job in the tournament, and I'm really happy for you. Your wise words to our team really helped us out a lot in hard situations. You're the first Pokémon I caught here, and I don't want you to leave..."

Ziggs then looked up to me and still had doubts with himself. "Are you sure, Lows? I am not much of a big help at all..."

"No, you're a big help to all of us." Surfer said, "You're my first friend in the team, and we started off together. The double battle that we had together... it was a thrilling and fun experience with you. I'll be really sad if you leave."

"Actually," Power started speaking too, "If it wasn't for your wise words, I would've not be in this team now. You helped us a lot, and I think that it is time for us to help you."

"Yes, I agree with Power." Grace gave a gentle smile and continued, "We shall assist you, in every way possible. We don't want you to leave."

"Same here, same here! We will help you when you're having trouble training, just like what Grace said!" Woody shouted in jubilation, then blushed when everyone looked at him due to his sudden outburst. Boy, he still isn't used to sudden attentions...

"See, Ziggs? No one wants you to leave, we all don't. This training routine will definitely make you better. I am also thinking to make you guys learn different moves. For example, since all of your moves are physical attacks, you should learn a special attack move. That way, you guys can protect yourselves from different conditions."

"Thanks, everyone... You guys really helped me out a lot, and I shouldn't be sad now. Let's do this, everyone, and get that badge next time!"

We all cheered and had a group hug, and I'm happy that Ziggs has become his usual jolly self again. We continued discussing the training routine, and we finally made some decisions. After that, we went to sleep, and we we're definitely excited of the training routine that we're starting tomorrow. What I didn't expect is that this training made us all become better than we ever imagined...

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter guys! It is kinda short compared to the previous chapters, but still, hope you guys enjoyed. How will Lows and his Pokémon do in the training routine? :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, moves: Focus Energy, Mach Punch, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How will the training routine turn out?**

 **Will Ziggs become better in the future?**


	14. Hoenn 13

**P/S: When I am posting this, I'm going to Vietnam for a vacation tomorrow! I'll bring the chapters back after I got home next Wednesday! Enjoy~**

 **Lows tried to battle Wattson with all his might, but he lost at the very end. After several doubts about himself, he cheered up after hearing Cassie's advice. However, when they were planning a training routine, Ziggs wanted to leave the team for his unsatisfying performance. But eventually, everyone cheered Ziggs up and everything returned to normal. This chapter, Lows and his Pokémon are starting the training routine they had planned. Will they improve more with the training they had?**

 **Chapter 13 - Training for Perfection**

"Alright everyone," My Pokémon and I just reached Route 117 after a hearty breakfast. "We're going to start our training today. We shall train for at least three days before our rematch with Wattson. I hope we can all have fun while training together and become better too. Understand?"

"Yes, Lows!" They all shouted in jubilation, and I told them the training that we're doing today according to what we discussed yesterday.

"Today, we'll start off with jogging around the route for 30 minutes. Then, we'll rest for 20 minutes before continuing our next training course."

So, here we are, jogging around the route. Our goal is to jog around the route for 3 times in 30 minutes. But the problem is, there are some Pokémon that are fast and some that are slow. Therefore, we couldn't really jog together properly. Power had the hardest time catching up, as he panted hard and lacked stamina as a Fighting type Pokémon.

"Everyone, please stop for a second," I asked everyone to stop, and continued, "Since our speed are all different, why don't we try our best to jog together? The fast ones can try to slow down a bit to wait for the slower ones." They all agreed and the problem was solved. After 30 minutes, we managed to jog around the route for 4 times, which is a good accomplishment for us.

We then rested under a shady tree to avoid the scorching sun. I asked Power about the training course, as he is having the most trouble with it. "Power, how's the training course for you?"

"It was... really fun to train with my friends," He stopped and continued, "But, I'm stilling having trouble because of my low speed stats. But... but I'll definitely try my best to keep up. Thank... thank you, Lows."

I smiled at his response and after 20 minutes of resting, I continued the next training course for them. "Next up, is to boost your attack moves! I'll let you guys train based on your moves. Alright..." I looked at their moves and said, "Power and Ziggs, since you all have only physical attack moves, you two should do the 'Physical Move Training Course'!"

Looking at their confused face, I explained to them about the course. The course is actually quite easy: just doing some workout and punch and break some small objects, like rocks. I don't want to give them a training course that's very hard just yet, because they just started their training.

After looking at the moves of the other three again, I continued, "Well, Surfer and Woody, you two are also doing the 'Physical Move Training Course'! Surfer, since that you already mastered Water Pulse and Water Gun, I think you need physical training to master Bite. Woody, you should also work harder on Pound and Quick Attack."

I then stopped and looked at Grace. "Grace, you're the only one who needs the 'Special Attack Move Training Course'. You will use Psybeam and Magical Leaf to aim at objects at far distance. The guys taking the 'Physical Attack Move Training' should train at east, while Grace should train at west."

Suddenly, I heard Woody whispered to me, "Ermm... Lows, can I do the special attack training... or whatever you're calling it?"

"Why, Woody?"

"Just... just not really into crowds... Can I switch to the other course with Grace?"

"Well..." I said in confusion, "Okay then, Woody, but next time you shall do the physical training." Woody nodded and immediately ran towards Grace.

* * *

"Grace, Grace! Wait up..." Woody said while running towards Grace.

"Oh, it's you, Woody! Didn't Lows say that you're doing the physical training? Why are you going with me?"

Before Woody can even reply, Grace tried to guess it herself. "Is it because of your nature, so you're not too into crowds? Well, you don't need to be scared. They're our friends." She said and gave a smile to Woody.

"Ermm... About that, that reason is just an excuse." Woody shyly said, "I... just wanna make sure that you're... you're okay. You might be... be in danger if you're alone. Just wanna protect... protect you... That's all!"

Grace's calm face suddenly turned bright red. She shyly said, "You... you don't have to do that. I... I can handle that... on my own actually. But... but thanks for your concern..." The usual calm Grace has turned into a shy one.

"I... just wanted to ensure that you're 100% safe... So, let's do the training..." Ah, what was I talking about! I just want to make sure she's okay, now this is turning into an awkward situation! Woody shouted in his heart. He is always bad at talking face to face with Pokémon, especially female ones.

"Alright... alright then." They slowly walked to their destination without saying a word. Grace suddenly said, "By the way, thanks for the save in Verdanturf... I really thought I was going to be crushed over there..."

"It's okay... You saved me as well in the end..."

"Well, I guess that's fair enough! Let's focus on training now." They all laughed and the conversation seemed to have enlightened a little bit.

Even though Grace looked fine, she was actually trying to hide her shyness inside her heart. Ever since that Double Battle with Woody, she started to have a strange feeling towards Woody. She never... had that feeling towards anyone before. Woody cared a lot about her, and she thought that she was only treating him as a friend. But something slowly changed what she think about Woody. Could that feeling be...?

 _No, it can't be... I've only known Woody for a few weeks. It can't be the feeling I'm thinking._

"Grace... Grace?" Woody suddenly said her name, taking her out of her thoughts.

"Ah! What's wrong... Woody?"

"We've reached the place to train already."

"Alright then..." Grace looked around the place where they're going to train. The place is full of rocks and Grace had an idea. "Let's have a battle to see how many rocks we can break in a certain distance using our special attack moves!"

"You're on it, Grace! I'll win for sure!"

"We'll see about that. Let's do this!" They all laughed and started the battle between them two.

* * *

Meanwhile at the other side, the three Pokémon who were taking the physical training course are slowly walking towards east. In the time being, Surfer started a conversation. "So... guys, any goals for this training course?"

"Of course we have, Surfer," Ziggs replied first and said, "My main goal for this... is to learn other special attack moves. Don't you think that when you, Woody and Grace attack without even have to walk towards the opponent? That is cool..."

"It is pretty cool, but you also need time to focus and aim at the foe properly. But I still hope that you can learn it!"

"Also," Ziggs seemed to have another goal for this training course. "I would like to evolve to get stronger. I just... want to at least do something for the team..."

"Yeah, me too! Surfer, only you and Grace evolved in our team, and you two all became so strong! I wish I can evolve soon too..." Power agreed to Ziggs's goal.

"Now, now, now.. Didn't Lows say that they don't want us to force ourselves to evolve? It would be a bad experience if we forced ourselves to evolve. The process won't be fun!" Surfer kindly gave advice to the two Pokémon that haven't evolved yet.

"Surfer, how did you evolve? I mean... what did you do in the tournament battle to evolve?" Power asked concernly, as he wanted to evolve too.

"I guess... I didn't really do anything! I just wanted our team to win the quarter finals match! Thinking that, I just... evolve by myself! I didn't expect it either, but guys, you all should just wait for the right time to come and take it slowly and fun. Understand?" They all nodded at Surfer's advice and smiled.

"Oh look! Isn't that the furthest east of this route?" Ziggs suddenly realized that had reached the far east of the route already.

"Hmm... let's see..." Surfer scanned around the place and continued, "Looks like there's a lot of trees and rocks. We should try to break the rocks using our moves and for the trees, we can just try to smash them, but we really shouldn't make them fall. We don't want any incidents to happen!"

"Alright, let's train!" Immediately after Ziggs' words, they all ran around, and started to train themselves.

* * *

"Hmm... I wonder how are they doing with their training? I should go and check on them... Alright, let's go and check how the Pokémon in the 'Special Attack Move Training Course' are doing!" Saying that, I walked towards west of the route, and right when I reached the place, I heard Grace's shouting in happiness, "Yes! I've won, Woody!"

"Well, guess you won this time, Grace. But I'll definitely win it next time!" I then realized that they were having a race of who breaks the most rocks using their special attacks, as I saw pieces of rocks everywhere.

"Well, seems like you two are getting along well," I said while smiling at them. They nodded at me and said, "Of course we are! We also think that our skill in aiming is more accurate after this race as well."

"That's awesome, guys!" I then looked at my watch, thinking that it is time for another rest for them. "Well, let's go now, and see how the other three are doing." They nodded and we all walked towards the far east of the route. After a short while, I saw the three Pokémon there, working hard on their training. I was observing them when suddenly I heard Surfer yelling, "Lows, watch out!"

I didn't know what he meant until I got hit by something, but it's not that painful. I realized that it was one of the pieces of a broken rock. Then I saw Power there, lowering his head.

"Sorry, Lows... I hit the rock with my Mach Punch, and the pieces just went straight towards you..."

"It's okay, Power. It seems like you three are doing your training very well. But I think we should all go back and take a quick rest."

"All right! A break!" Saying that, we quickly went back to Mauville, and had our lunch in a restaurant. The food seemed to be more delicious after a hard workout. After that, we rested a bit before continuing our training. Training after eating is not good for our health, after all.

"We're back here again, Lows! What are we going to do now?" Surfer quickly asked, as he was excited for the next activity they're doing.

"Well, the next activity we're doing... is the endurance training! You all will form teams of two, and one of each team will be attacked by his or her partner. Your goal is to endure the damage as much as possible, but don't push yourselves too hard. Understand?"

"Well, there's one thing I don't understand..." Ziggs asked, "There's only five of us. What are we supposed to do for the one that's left out?"

"Good question, Ziggs," I replied with a somewhat calm tone, "Each of you will be teaming with... one of the Pokémon from Cassie's team! Welcome Cassie and her team!"

Suddenly, to my five Pokémon's surprise, Cassie walked near me and sent out her five Pokémon: Fire, Bubbles, Tad, and two Pokémon that I didn't recognize until I scanned them with my Pokédex. [Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokémon. It prefers damp places. By day it remains still in the forest shade. It releases toxic powder from its head.] [Whismur, the Whisper Pokémon. It usually murmurs, but starts crying loudly if it senses danger. It stops when its ear covers are shut.]

"Alright everyone, this is Fire, Bubbles, Tad, Bloom and Wish. Hope you all get along!" The ten Pokémon around us greeted each other politely and started chit-chatting for a bit. After that, they chose their partner for the training. Turns out, the teams are Surfer and Tad, Ziggs and Bubbles, Grace and Fire, Woody and Wish and Power and Bloom. After that, They all tried to endure Cassie's Pokémon's attacks, and they all did pretty well. Surfer managed to hold on for the longest time, while the others and not that far behind. Cassie's Pokémon really had some amazing skills there.

After the endurance training, we all jogged around the route again, with Cassie and her Pokémon along as well. It all went quite well until we suddenly heard a loud voice.

"Hey you all! Don't stop running, or not you know what will happen!" At first, I thought the person was yelling at us, until I saw a trainer giving commands to his Pokémon rudely. All his Pokémon are running around the route, the same training we're doing. The trainer just commanded his Pokémon without doing any training for himself at all.

"How can he do that? He's giving commands like he is the boss, but he's not even doing anything!" Cassie whispered to me, and I nodded as response.

I slowly walked towards the trainer and tried to tell him his problem nicely. "I'm sorry to interupt, but... shouldn't you also train with them instead of... just sitting there, yelling at them? That's not quite right..."

The trainer suddenly turned at me and said, "Oh, it's you again. I cannot believe I have to lose to a cheater like you. Anyways, who said that the trainer has to train with his or her Pokémon? I would not waste my time on training with my Pokémon."

I then realized that the trainer is Regis, the trainer who slightly lost to me in the tournament. But at that point, I don't really care because I got triggered by his words.

"I want to explain two things. One, I did not cheat in the tournament. Two, you said that you would not waste your time on training with your Pokémon. Then how are you going to use your time? Sitting there, yelling commands at your Pokémon?"

He obviously was shocked by my anger, but he quickly recovered and replied rudely, "You all trainers should know better. Bonding with Pokémon is just less important than training them to be the best." He then looked around and said with a sly smile. "Why don't we have a one on one battle? I'll show you who's wrong."

"Why is everyone solving problems with a battle anyways? What can a battle do?"

"To show that I'm better than you, cheater."

"I'M NOT A CHEATER!" _I just hated so much when people say that I don't play fair! I'm just a little bit too sensitive in these things..._

"Yeah, sure... Then battle me, so I can find out if you're really a cheater! Too scared?"

"Alright, I accept the challenge then. I'll show you who's wrong!"

He then looked at his Pokémon who were training and yelled, "Swell, come here and battle!" Then I saw the same Swellow in the tournament flying to him.

"Let me take on that flying birdie, Lows!" Surfer said confidently, as he defeated Swell last time.

"Sorry, Surfer. I want the other Pokémon who are participating the gym battle to train. Maybe next time, okay?" Surfer felt upset but recovered quickly and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll just wait for another time to ride the waves!"

"Thanks for understanding, Surfer." I then looked at the Pokémon I wanted to choose and said, "Ziggs, time to battle!"

"M-me?!" Ziggs was apparently shocked by my choice and said, "Are... are you sure? What if I mess up again?"

I comforted him and said, "I believe in you, and I know that you won't mess up. Let's do this!" After some considerations, Ziggs finally walked to me, ready to battle.

"I guess I'll have the first move. Swell, use Wing Attack!" Swell immediately spread his wings wide and flied towards Ziggs. Just when I was going to give my command, Surfer suddenly shouted, "Ziggs, it's time to use the move to hide yourself!"

 _Wait... what move?_

Ziggs suddenly beamed and dug a hole. After that, he immediately jumped into the hole, avoiding the attack. Swell failed to hit Ziggs, resulting in a crash landing.

"That's the move Dig! Awesome work, Ziggs!" Cassie shouted in jubilation, while I saw the Swellow that was still trying to get up and commanded, "Ziggs, use Headbutt, full power!"

Ziggs then gave the Swallow Pokémon a full power head attack, resulting Swell almost unable to move, but he was still able to move after a few seconds.

Regis gritted his teeth and said, "Swell, use Peck!" I can see that Regis is nervous, and I commanded, "Ziggs, counter with Rock Smash!"

Swell immediately attacked Ziggs with his beak, while Ziggs countered with a strong attack with his paw. Ziggs seemed to take more damage, but the tired Swell fell face first while Ziggs slowly got up, panting.

"Nice job, Lows! You won!" Cassie yelled at me with happiness.

"Thanks, Cassie. Ziggs, amazing work too." I gave Cassie and Ziggs a smile, but I saw Regis sighed. I thought he was going to get mad at me, but instead after a few seconds, he said in a somewhat calm tone. "Congratulations, Lows. You've won the battle. I knew that you're not really a cheater, but the loss before just made me a sore loser, I guess."

He then looked at his Pokémon and said, "I'm sorry, guys. I just forced you guys to train so hard but I didn't really do anything at all. I will train with you all starting now." Regis' Pokémon was shocked by his words but happily nodded.

"Regis, it's okay." I said to him calmly, "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and it's good to turn over a new leaf and change when you realized your mistakes. I'm happy for you, Regis."

"You know what?" Regis chuckled and said, "We can actually be good friends. In fact, you're the second person that I looked up to now."

"Yeah, but who is the first person you've looked up to?" I chuckled and asked him in a sort of kidding way.

"It's Harry. He's just so strong! I looked up to him ever since he won that tournament."

"Harry?!" Regis was obviously shocked by my reaction, but I calmed myself down and said, "Well, looking up to a strong trainer is nice, but you shouldn't look up to his attitude towards his Pokémon."

"Wait, what did he do to his Pokémon?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. But right now, let's go to the PokéCentre and heal our Pokémon. They are tired after the battle."

Regis agreed to my suggestion, and we walked towards the PokéCentre and healed our Pokémon while I told him what he did to his Pokémon.

* * *

"Wait, really? I cannot believe he does that to his Pokémon!" He was shocked as I told him more and more about his attitude. "It's just... hard to believe that. It's not just me who looked up to him, in fact, everyone in Hoenn did as he defeated your home region's Champion."

"Yeah, I understand. I would've looked up to him too if I were you. But after witnessing his attitude, I started to dislike him."

"So... you also said that he released his Machop after the tournament. Well, where is the Machop now?"

"In fact, I added the Machop to my team, and he's actually a pretty good fighter." I pointed at Power, while Power shyly smiled at my praise.

"You've got a very... troublesome journey, Lows. I cannot believe we all had different experiences after we seperated, Lows!" Cassie was surprised by how much I've been through.

"I know, Cassie." I said with a smile. "But in these experiences, some of them are actually quite enjoyable."

"Harry must had pushed through your mental limits several times, Lows," Regis was suddenly sorry for me and said, "Yet I've just called you a cheater and made you mad again... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Regis. In the end, you changed and we are friends now. Right, Regis?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Regis said and gave a smile, "Can we exchange Pokégear numbers before I leave? I would like to hear from you soon."

"Wait, you're leaving for the next city already?" Cassie said in confusion.

"Yeah, I got my thrid badge from Wattson already, but I wanted to train some more here before leaving. I learnt a lot from you Lows, thank you. Also, Cassie... I guess that's your name? Can I exchange Pokégear numbers with you too? You seem to be a strong trainer too, and I would like to be friends with you too."

"Sure, Regis." We exchanged Pokégear numbers before we bid farewell. Before he ran off, he gave us one last sentence. "Lows and Cassie, I'll defeat you guys next time, so let's battle again in the future! Bye!" We smiled at his promise, and stood there for a while until Regis was out of sight.

"Well, I guess it's getting late now, and we should stop our training for today." I told Cassie about my decision of ending our training today.

"I think you're right. Let's have our dinner before going back to our rooms."

I agreed to her suggestion, and we ate in the usual restaurant while we talked about some funny memories in the past. After that, we went back to our rooms. I watched TV with my Pokémon a bit, but I was so tired that I fell asleep in the couch.

When I woke up, I realized that I was covered with a blanket and the TV was closed already. I looked around and realized that my Pokémon were still sleeping around the big couch. They must've closed the TV and covered me with the blanket. I carefully got up, not wanting to wake them up. I then looked at them gratefully.

 _Thanks, you all. I wouldn't be still continuing my journey if it wasn't for you all. You guys helped me so much, and I'll make sure to protect you all as much as possible._

* * *

 **Well, that's it for this chapter. So bascially, Lows and his team trained and helped a trainer to change his way of treating his Pokémon. What will they do in the next chapter?**

 **P/S: That's right, Woody and Grace's relationship are slowly changing! I can't wait to type it out myself :D**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Withdraw, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Dig, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Pound, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, moves: Focus Energy, Mach Punch, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Who do you think will be the next one to evolve?**

 **How do you think of Grace and Woody's relationship?**

 **Would you want to see Regis in the future?**


	15. Hoenn 14

**Lows and his Pokémon started their training routine, and the relationship between Woody and Grace is slowly changing. Lows also helped a trainer, Regis to become a better trainer and became friends with him. This chapter, Lows is going to help his Pokémon train different moves, but not everyone is able to learn them succesfully. Will they be able to handle the new moves?**

 **Also, if you're thinking, "That Pokémon can't learn that move" Yes, I changed a bit, don't get confused. Enjoy the chapter :D**

 **P/S: Please tell me if I should post regular backstories in this story from now! I think it will be pretty fun to make, and you guys get to learn more of a trainer's past.**

 **Chapter 14 - Move Learning Troubles**

"Awesome, it's time for more training!" Surfer excitedly shouted, as he knows what training are they doing today.

"Alright guys, so today we're going to-" When I'm about to explain what we're doing, Surfer suddenly interupted.

"Learn new moves so that we have more choices in different situations! Right, Lows?" I nodded with a smile and continued, "Here's a list of what moves you guys are going to learn based on your type weaknesses."

I read through the list and said in order, "Surfer is weak to Grass and Electric type attacks, so I think you should learn a Ground type move. You can start with the easiest Ground type move for now, that's **Mud Slap**."

"Yes! A new move to learn!" He then went towards the side, starting to learn Mud Slap on his own.

"Next up is Ziggs," Ziggs' ears perked up when he heard his name, as he wanted to learn a special attack move. "Since you already learnt a Ground type move, I think it's time for you to learn a different type move. How about... the move **Swift**? I think it's the best move you can learn for now.

"Amazing move, Lows! I've seen Tad used that move when battling me, and I think it's really cool to learn. Alright... I shall try my best." He then went to another side, trying to learn Swift.

"Grace, you're up next!" Grace stood firm in her position, waiting for my next command. "You're weak to Ghost and Dark types. I guess you should work on countering Ghost types. **Shadow Ball** will be the perfect move for you."

"Thanks a lot for the delightful move, Master Lows. I shall go ahead and train now." Saying that, she went to another side to train.

"Woody... you're probably the one with the most type weaknesses..." Woody sheepishly lowered down his head, but I comforted him by saying, "But don't worry, Woody. I'll let you try to learn Rock type moves, as it can counter four of your type weaknesses. Let's start off with... **Rock Throw**!"

"Hmm, that move that throws big boulders? I guess that's fine... I'll start my training now." His head raised up and he started training too.

"Lastly, it's Power." Power immediately stood up and took a deep breath. "Power is weak to Psychic types... Alright, I got the perfect move for you! It's a Dark type move, **Fling**!" Looking at his confused face, I can tell that he doesn't understand what the move is.

"This move is about throwing objects at the foe. The power varies on the object. If the object you throw is heavy, it will definitely deal a lot of damage."

"Oh, so learning this move is not hard at all! You just have to... throw objects at the target?"

"Yeah, that's right, Power! You can start from lighter objects though, be careful and don't get hurt." He nodded and finally, everyone's trying to learn their new moves.

After a few minutes, I saw Cassie walking towards me, whispering to me, not wanting to disturb my Pokémon. "Is everything okay, Lows?"

"Actually, I'm just about to go and check on them. Wanna come along?"

Cassie nodded and we slowly walked to the first Pokémon that we saw, Power. He's throwing rocks at a tree, which I assumed that the tree was his target. He also put rocks from a small to big order in a straight line.

"Looks like you're doing quite well, Power!" Power then raised up his head towards me after hearing my voice.

"I'm doing fine, Lows. The training is really working out." Saying that, he threw an average-sized boulder and threw it towards the tree. Power's good aiming made the boulder perfectly hit the tree.

"That's amazing, Power! Keep up the good work!" He smiled at my praise and continued practicing with Fling.

I then walked towards Ziggs, who is learning Swift. But I saw him having trouble shooting the star rays.

"What's wrong, Ziggs?" Cassie concernly asked, and Ziggs just shook his head and said, "I'm just having trouble learning this move. It seems like you need to be in high speed in order to control this move's power. I'll try my best to keep up my speed."

"You'll get the hang of it soon, Ziggs." Ziggs nodded at my comforting words and continued running to raise up his speed.

"Next up is Surfer." I stopped and looked at how my starter Pokémon's doing. It seems like he's doing quite well, as he took a handful of soil from the ground and used Water Gun to make the soil moist, turning it into mud. He then threw the mud at a boulder, and the boulder got hit in succession.

"Not too bad, Surfer! Looks like you'll get the hang out of it soon." After hearing Cassie's compliment, he proudly raised up his head.

"It's quite easy for me to handle this move since I can use water to make tons of mud." He proudly said.

"Just practice some more then. Practice makes perfect!" Surfer agreed to my suggestion and continued training Mud Slap.

Just when I turned on Grace, I heard Grace mumbling, "Focus... Focus..."

Grace is trying to make herself focus. She then tried to use her psychic powers to form a shadowy blob. Unfortunately, it seems like Grace's powers aren't strong enough to form the blob, as the blob disappeared as Grace fell onto the ground, about to faint.

As Grace tried to stand up and train again, Cassie hold her hand and said, "Grace, you just started training this move, you don't need to push yourself too hard."

"But I need to train... My progress is far behind from the others... Ah!" Without finishing her sentence, she screamed and put her hands on her head.

 _She must've had a headache for focusing too much. I should stop her._

"Grace, I know you're trying to catch up, but you have to take a rest to recover. You can train the move later."

Grace is still hesitant to stop, so I said, "If you continued training, I will return you to your Pokéball."

Without any choices, she had to accept my order and she rested under a tree, closing her eyes.

Lastly, I checked on my Wood Gecko Pokémon. He appeared to be training just fine, but he had a confused look on his face.

Upon seeing me and Cassie, he immediately stopped and said, "Hey, Lows and Cassie! I think I can handle the weight of the rocks, but... something's not right. I mean, how can I use the move when I'm in a battleground with no rocks?"

"I think you need to form the boulder yourself. You need to focus your powers to form it." Thinking about what happened to Grace earlier, I reminded him, "But don't push yourself too hard, I don't want you to become like Grace."

"Okay, I will try my best... Wait, what happened to Grace?!"

"Oh, she just had a headache for pushing herself too hard. She is just resting under a tree. Why are you curious?"

"Oh, n-nothing! I'm just asking..." His face turned into a bright red and I got curious, but I decided not to ask more about it.

"Well, good luck with Rock Throw!" I walked away with Cassie and did some exercise on our own.

* * *

"Is Grace... okay? I think I should check on her." He thought of checking Grace, but he suddenly stopped.

"No, no, no, wait. She will be totally fine on her own! Yeah, nothing bad will happen to her... I should just continue training." Woody tried to not think about it and continued training. But even he tried to focus, he still couldn't form a boulder.

"What's... what's wrong with me today? I could usually focus just fine..." At this point, he had to admit. "Yeah, I must be really bothered by Grace's condition. Maybe I should check on her..."

He then slowly walked towards Grace, who appeared to have fallen asleep.

"Looks like she is just fine... What was I thinking anyways, she can handle anything just fine!" Then, a weird thought just came through his mind. He then shook his head to shake off his thought.

"No, no, no... I'm just checking her as a friend! It's not like I... Anyways, since she's fine, I should continue my training." After muttering to himself, he then continued training. And the more he train, the more capable his ability is to form a bigger boulder.

* * *

Just when I was observing Surfer and Ziggs training, a man suddenly approached to me and said, "We, have the will to change the world..." All my Pokémon and I turned their heads towards him. That guy is acting like he's giving a big speech to his audience, which is really creepy for me.

He then continued, "We, have the will to be the best out of the best..."

Surfer suddenly whispered to me, "This guy is creeping me out... Maybe we should get out of here." But I petted him and whispered, "Let's just wait and see."

The man suddenly turned on me and yelled, "So join us, Team Will! Together, we are going to be the greatest team ever exist!"

 _Oh great, isn't that Team Rocket version 2 again.._. "Sorry, I'm not joining Team Will, go convince someone else!"

"Grrr... Another stubborn trainer! I guess I will take you out and..." He suddenly noticed something and said, "Hey, I recognize you! You're that person who ruined our plan to steal the parcel!"

He then took out two Pokéballs and said, "The boss is so mad about your meddling! But who cares, once I took you to the boss, the boss will surely reward me for sure! Go, Zubat and Koffing!"

A bat-looking Pokémon and a purple Pokémon looking like a grenade appeared at the field. I decided not to scan them since I know that I don't have enough time for that. Besides, I had another thought on my mind.

 _What should I do? It seems like everyone is tired from the training..._

"I'll help you, Lows!" Cassie suddenly shouted at me, with a comforting smile on her face.

"I would really like that. Thanks, Cassie." I then turned to Surfer and asked, "Surfer, can you battle?"

"Sure! Let's ride the waves together!" My starter Pokémon is just energetic when it comes to battling.

"Nice choice, Lows," Cassie smiled at my choice, and threw a Pokéball while saying, "Let's battle, Fire!" The Charmeleon appeared at the field. The two starters' eyes met and they politely smiled at each other, happy to work together.

"Alright, two trainers that will join Team Will after I defeated them. Zubat and Koffing, use the Sludge Bomb combo!"

Quicker than we know, Zubat and Koffing continuously created large filthy sludges and threw them at lightning speed.

Seeing the condition, I quickly commanded, "Surfer, move the sludge away with Water Pulse!" while Cassie commanded Fire to use Flamethrower.

Despite that the two Pokémon have strong moves, but their power are quite weak and with our starters' attacks, the sludge are easily moved back to them and they got hit by their own attacks.

Seeing that the condition is good for us, I quickly commanded, "Surfer, Water Gun on Koffing!"

Cassie then decided to attack Zubat after hearing my command to Surfer. "Fire, Slash on Zubat!"

They quickly reacted to our commands and with their attacks, they took out Zubat and Koffing pretty easily. The Team Will Grunt returned his Pokémon and had a scared look on his face.

"I must at least do something for the team, or not the boss will crush me..." His eyes suddenly locked on Grace, who is still resting.

"I must steal this Kirlia so I can get away with my performance!" Saying that, he quickly dashed towards Grace, and our speed couldn't catch up to his.

 _Oh no, somebody needs to stop this grunt!_

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice shouting, "You shall not touch Grace!" And to my surprise, a big boulder suddenly rolled towards the running grunt. The grunt couldn't react in time and got rolled away by the boulder.

Before he was out of sight, I thought I heard him shouted, "Great! No work accomplished, and now I'm ending off like that idiot Carl!"

That's when Grace suddenly woke up and asked, "What... what happened?"

"You almost got stolen by a Team Will Grunt, but someone saved you by throwing a boulder to him. And I think the Pokémon who can do that is..." I replied while looking at Woody, whose face turned bright red when he noticed that I knew he's the one that saved Grace.

"Thanks... thanks, Woody..." Grace replied with a slight red on her face.

"Don't... don't mention it... I just wanna prevent you fron getting stolen! That's what... friends are for..." After saying that, he quickly ran away in embarrassment. I chuckled at the cute sight and I asked Grace in a joking way, "Did you blush because Woody saved you?"

"N-no, Master Lows! I'm just... still tired from the training..." Grace's face turned redder as she tried to protest.

 _Hmm... Woody and Grace's relationship seems special compared to the others... Might investigate that secretly in the future._

I decided not to tease her anymore and suggested, "Maybe we should take a rest for tomorrow's gym battle. It is getting quite late."

"W-wait, tomorrow?!" Everyone gasped as they heard the date of the rematch.

"Yeah! I've booked for a rematch at tomorrow morning." I then looked at them seriously and said, "I know you guys can do it. Even though some of you guys might not mastered your new moves yet, but if we believe in ourselves, we can accomplish amazing things together."

"Yeah, and I'll be here to support you guys too!" Cassie happily gave us words of encouragement.

"We all wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Lows," Ziggs slowly said, "and we will be ready for anything for you, Lows. We can win that badge this time!"

I got touched by his words, and we all had a big hug. I managed to hold back my tears of happiness, but Cassie saw my red eyes and chuckled at the sight.

 _Yes, together, let's win our second badge!_

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature, moves: Mud Slap, Bite, Water Pulse, Water Gun**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature, moves: Dig, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash; learning-Swift**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature, moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam; learning-Shadow Ball**

 **Woody (Treecko, Male) Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed, Absorb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature, moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Lows' Pokémon learning new moves?**

 **What do you think Lows will feel when he finds out Woody and Grace's relationship?**

 **How will the rematch turn out?**


	16. Hoenn 15

**Lows asked his Pokémon to learn new moves to repair their weaknesses, but unfortunately some of them didn't master the moves just yet. Lows also noticed the relationship between Woody and Grace and decided to investigate in the future. On the next day, Lows and his Pokémon are doing a rematch against Wattson, but a problem occured before the match. Will they succeed in the rematch?**

 **P/S: I still need suggestions of whether I should post backstories of the characters in this story or not! Please leave your suggestions when reviewing :)**

 **Chapter 15 - The Electrifying Rematch**

After preparing breakfast for me and my Pokémon, I called my Pokémon to have breakfast. "Guys, it's time for breakfast!"

Most of the Pokémon arrived at the dining table, but I didn't see Grace there. Out of curiousity, I went to the place where Grace slept and checked on her.

What I saw next really shocked me. I saw Grace still sleeping on her bed, shivering. I touched her forehead and realized her forehead was very hot. Immediately, I told my Pokémon to continue their breakfast while I took Grace to treatment.

After what felt like forever, the nurse finally called my name and said, "Lows Landerson, your Pokémon seemed to be training too hard and she got sick. She will be fine after treatment, but you can only take her back tonight."

I got shocked and upset at the same time by her words. Even though I'm relieved that she will be fine, but without her, the gym battle will be harder to win. With many thoughts on my head, I went back to my room and all the Pokémon immediately asked, "What happened to Grace, Lows?"

"She got sick and she couldn't participate in the gym battle. So..."

Without letting me finish my sentence, Power gasped at the bad news and said, "Wait... Are we going to give up the gym battle?"

Woody got shocked by his words and replied while shaking his head, "Of course not! We worked so hard for the battle! There's no way we're giving up!"

"I don't plan on doing that too," I gulped in nervousness while telling my plan. "that's why I got a backup plan, but it might be hard for us to win the battle. Surfer, I want you to help defeating Wattson."

"I do have the type disadvantage..." Surfer is still worried about his weakness towards Electric types, but after a while, he raised up his head and said, "But I guess there is no other choice. I will battle Wattson, Lows."

"Thanks for your help, Surfer," I looked at him gratefully and continued, "we can still win that badge if we work together. Let's do our best!"

All my Pokémon cheered and after our breakfast, we slowly walked to the gym with Cassie. Before we walked into the battlefield again, Cassie encouraged us with kind words. "Guys, I know it might be hard, but I watched you guys throughout the training, and I know that you guys will be just fine. Good luck!"

"Thanks, Cassie." After Cassie walked to the arena seat, I finished the maze in a short period of time. After Wattson saw me, he laughed and said, "Well, if it isn't Lows! Are you ready for the rematch?"

"I'm all up for it, Wattson!" I nodded determinedly, and the referee appeared and told us the usual rules. After he was finished with the rules, he announced, "The battle between Leader Wattson and Lows Landerson will now begin! Lows Landerson, please choose your first Pokémon."

"Alright then..." I took out the Pokéball I wanted and threw it. "Let's have fun, Power!" Power appeared in the battlefield, appeared to be holding something heavy, but he still managed to maintain his position.

"That's an unusual item to hold," Wattson exclaimed while taking out a Pokéball and said, "Bolt, let's dash the stage!" Wattson's Electrike appeared in the battlefield, eager to battle.

 _If I'm not wrong, Bolt is really fast in attacking. I should be more careful._

"Power, let's start off with Focus Energy, then Karate Chop!" Power's eyes immediately turned red and he dashed towards his opponent, but Bolt dodged it easily due to his high speed.

"Wahahahaha! Bolt, use Thundershock!" Bolt shot a weak jolt of electricity to Power. Power felt the pain, but he gritted his teeth and still continued my plan.

"Power, don't give up! Use Low Kick!" Power used his strong leg and kicked Bolt, but Bolt is very light and he didn't take much damage at all.

"Bolt, Quick Attack!" Bolt dashed around the battlefield with an even faster speed, and hit my Fighting type Pokémon in succesion. Seeing that the condition is good for them, Wattson gave his commands confidently, "Bolt, finish off with Tackle!"

Just when Bolt is running towards Power for the final blow, I knew that it is the time and yelled, "Power, now! Use Fling!" Upon hearing my command, Power immediately lifted the heavy item he was holding and threw it to Bolt. Bolt was hit by the heavy object and he winced in pain.

"Power, final blow! Use Karate Chop!" Power immediately ran towards Bolt who is still struggling to get up and chopped him. Wattson's Electrike is definitely unable to move after the combinations of the attacks.

"Bolt is unable to battle! Power wins!" I saw Wattson got shocked for a second, but he quickly recovered and said, "You caught me off guard there! Using Fling to change the tides... You are an interesting one! Hahaha!"

Just when I smiled at his words, I saw Power streching his arms and beamed. "Yes, after getting the heavy item of me, I can definitely move faster than before! The training worked out!"

"Nice job, Power. Why don't you take a short rest?" Power nodded and returned to his Pokéball.

On the other side, Wattson returned Bolt and threw another Pokéball, yelling, "Bomber, let's do this!" The Ball Pokémon appeared right in front of me, wanting to avenge his teammate.

 _Who do I choose? Woody... Not yet, I don't want him to suffer the pain again. I'm going to choose..._

"Ziggs, you're up next!" I quickly took Ziggs' Pokéball out of my belt and threw it. When Ziggs appeared, I saw his excited but nervous expression.

I slowly petted him and comforted him. "Ziggs, don't worry. You are a lot more stronger now. You can do this!"

"I... I will do my best..." From his tone, I can tell that he is still a little bit nervous, but a lot less nervous than before.

"Oh? This Zigzagoon looks stronger compared to our last battle. I can't wait! Hahaha!" He then commanded, "Bomber, use Rollout!"

 _Not again!_ "Ziggs, counter with Swift!"

Ziggs quickly jumped and spinned to form the star rays. Unfortunately, he fell down in failure and no star rays was formed.

 _Oh no, he hasn't mastered that move yet!_ "Ziggs, change our plan! Dodge using Dig!"

Ziggs immediately dug down and dodged the attack in succession. Bomber was curious of where did Ziggs go, but found out where he was after Ziggs attacked him from underground.

"Bomber, Sonicboom!" Bomber shot the white energy and it hit Ziggs without fail.

"Are you okay Ziggs?"

"I'm okay." He nodded, meaning that he can keep going.

"Alright then, one last shot! Use Headbutt, full power!"

"I'm not going to let you win easily! Bomber, Shock Wave, full power!"

Ziggs managed to hit Bomber in succession, but felt the jolt of electricity in his body after Bomber released the bolts of electricity. Both Pokémon fainted in exhaustion, unable to move.

"Both Ziggs and Bomber are unable to battle! This battle is a draw! Both challenger and gym leader, please choose your next Pokémon."

I was about to return Ziggs, but I heard him crying sadly in the battlefield.

 _He must be upset that he didn't get an actual win._

Without thinking twice, I hugged him as a comforting action, while Ziggs is both shocked and happy with my action. I gave a thumbs up to him, giving a praise that he did a great job. He finally recovered and smiled, and I returned him to the Pokéball.

Suddenly, I saw that Wattson already sent out Radar when I was comforting Ziggs. I focused again while taking out a Pokéball.

"Surfer, it's time to go!" I said nervously, as he does have the type disadvantage.

* * *

"Oh, so Surfer is battling for this rematch... I hope that everything goes fine..." Cassie worriedly thought while shouting to Lows, hiding her worriness. "Lows, go for it!"

* * *

I turned around and quickly waved at Cassie before focusing on the battle. "Surfer, use Water Pulse!" Surfer shot the water rings, but the Magneton dodged them easily.

"Hahaha! Radar, use Metal Sound!" Obeying its trainer's command, it gave a screeching sound that is very irritating to hear. Surfer and I closed our ears, and Wattson took the advantage and said, "Radar, it's time! Magnet Bomb!"

"Surfer, counter with Mud Slap, then Water Pulse!" Surfer and I recovered from the noise, and Surfer formed the mud and threw it at Radar. Radar was shocked and got hit by the mud right in the face. As it tried to shake it off, Surfer shot the water rings, but not fast enough as Radar shot the steel bombs too.

Radar got hit by the water rings and got pushed back, but the steel bombs also hit Surfer, making him wince in pain, but the impact is reduced due to his type resistance against Steel type moves.

"One more shot, Surfer! Water Gun, full power!"

"Radar, we underestimated them! Finish him off with Shock Wave!"

Surfer and Radar both released their attacks at almost the exact same time. The two moves went through each other and hit their targets. Radar is still able to stand after the water attack, but Surfer got took down by the super effective attack and collapsed.

"Surfer is unable to battle! Radar wins!" Even though Radar took out Surfer, it must be tired too. Thinking that, I thanked Surfer and returned him.

"Let's finish it off, Power!" I sent out my command immediately after sending him out. "Power, finish this fast with Low Kick!"

Radar, who is still panting in exhaustion, had no more energy to dodge and took the super effective attack. This battle ended faster than I thought, but I knew that the strongest member on Wattson's team is coming up.

"Radar is unable to battle! Power wins!"

After the referee announced the results, Wattson returned Radar and said, "Wahahaha! It has came down to this again! Come on out, Thunder!"

Once again, the strong-looking Electric type appeared in the battlefield again. I gulped in nervousness as I commanded, "Power, use Focus Energy, then Low Kick!"

Just when Power is running towards Thunder, Wattson suddenly commanded, "Not on our watch! Thunder, dodge using Quick Attack, then use Electro Ball!"

 _No, not that same tactic that Carl used!_ Just when I wanted to tell Power to be careful, it was too late. Thunder dodged it and with his lightning speed, he threw the ball with powerful electricity in it. Power got hit by the ball and yelled in severe pain, which made me shocked by how powerful it is.

"Power, I'm sorry that I let you suffered in pain." Power just shook his head in response and said, "Don't worry, Lows... I knew that I won't win against Thunder here... But I will at least deal some damage to him! I can do this, let's give this one last go!"

I got shocked and happy by his determination, considering how timid he always was. I nodded and yelled, "Alright Power, use Karate Chop, max power!"

"Guess it's a head on head battle," Wattson knew that Power is almost down, and he said, "Guess we're not holding back too! Thunder, counter with Quick Attack!"

The two Pokémon fought each other with their physical attack moves, but unfortunately, Power went face down first, while Thunder took some damage, but is still standing.

"Power is unable to battle! Thunder wins!"

"I guess it's one on one now," I said while throwing my last Pokéball, "Woody, it's all up to you!"

My Wood Gecko Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, looking nervous, but I comforted him a bit and hopefully, that calmed him down.

* * *

"I guess it's all up to Woody now... Power dealt some damage to Thunder, but will that be enough?" Cassie said to herself, not intending for anyone to hear her.

"Oh, Woody can do this, no problem! Cassie, you're overworrying too much. You have to trust your friend!" Cassie turned her head towards Fire, her Charmeleon who looks completely relaxed and is not worried at all. Cassie seemed to have send out Fire to watch the match with her.

"You really have to be serious about at least some stuff besides battling, Fire." Cassie shook her head towards her relaxed nature starter. Fire just laughed at her "advice", and they continued focusing on the battle.

* * *

"It's now or never I guess," I said while facing to our last opponent, "Woody, use Quick Attack, then Bullet Seed!"

"Woody will not match Thunder's speed!" Wattson smiled and commanded, "Thunder, use Quick Attack, then Electro Ball!"

 _Not that strategy again!_ "Woody, counter that attack with Bullet Seed!" Woody tried to push back the Electro Ball attack with Bullet Seed, and luckily, the ball got pushed back after taking hits from the seeds.

"Not bad, but can you dodge this attack?" Wattson smirked and gave his commands to his last Pokémon. "Thunder, Shock Wave at fast speed!"

Thunder heard his trainer's command and started running around Woody. Then, he released the bolts of electricity one by one but still keeping his fast pace.

"Woody, dodge!" Woody tried to dodge all the electric bolts, but he got hit by the last two bolts. He collapsed in pain, but he doesn't seemed to want to give up, as he started to get up, ignoring the pain.

Seeing the pain he's suffering, I had an intention to remove him from the match and give up. Just when I'm about to raise up my hand and tell the referee to stop, Woody grabbed my hand and said, "What are you doing, Lows? We can still do this!"

"I don't want you to suffer more... Last time when you fainted from the selfdestruction, I promised myself to not let you get badly injured anymore. But at the first match with Wattson, I failed to achieve my promise. I don't want to see you in pain anymore..."

"I will do everything to win this match!" I got shocked by his sudden outburst, but he slowly took a deep breath and said, "Before I met you, I felt like I was alone all the time and I will never meet a trainer that will take care of me. But out of all Pokémon, you chose me. I was really grateful, and I felt special because I was the only one chosen by you. You made me got out of my lonely self, and I will do everything for you!"

"T-thank you," I got touched by his words. I thought I was not doing well at being a responsible trainer. But it turns out, my Pokémon will do everything for me despite the odds. I put my hand to Woody's shoulder and said, "together, we can accomplish everything."

He smiled, and suddenly a white light surrounded Woody for a few seconds, and I happily watched Woody evolve. After evolving, Woody has three long leaves on his wrists, a large leaf on top of his head, and two tails that have a leafy appearance.

I took out my Pokédex and scanned my newly-evolved Woody. [Grovyle, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Treecko. The leaves growing out of Grovyle's body are convenient for camouflaging it from enemies in the forest. This Pokémon is a master at climbing trees in jungles.]

I also found out that he learnt new moves that gave us a better advantage. Suddenly, I heard Wattson shouted, "I guess you two finished your conversation."

I suddenly realized we are still in the middle of the match and how much time we had used. "Sorry, Wattson!"

"Hahaha, it's okay! Let's continue our final battle! Thunder, Thunderbolt!"

"Alright, we're not holding back too! Woody, use Rock Throw!"

All the Pokémon are forced to dodge the attacks, and I quickly commanded, "Let's try out Leaf Blade, max power!"

"One last shot, Thunder! Use Electro Ball, full power!"

Woody went close to Thunder to release his attack, while Thunder readied his electro ball. They all unleashed their attacks almost at the exact same time, and the collision of the strong moves form a huge dust...

* * *

"Hey, nurse," I asked the nurse working at the PokéCentre. "can I get my Pokémon back please?"

"Sure, which Pokémon is yours?"

"My Pokémon is called Grace, she's a Kirlia." The nurse nodded and took a Pokéball and handed it to me. "She's in the Pokéball. Take good care of her!"

"I will. Thanks for your treatment!" The nurse smiled politely and I sent Grace out. "Grace, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but... What happened to the rematch? Did I miss it? Did you guys won?"

"Well..." I sighed and told her, "We lost again."

"Oh... I'm sorry that I got sick..."

"No, it's okay! We can always try again next time. Come on, let's go out." Grace smiled bitterly as we walked out of the PokéCentre. Suddenly, my four Pokémon showed up at the door and starting cheering for Grace, happy to see that she's better. But apparently, Grace is confused by their happiness.

"Why are you guys... so happy? Didn't you guys lost?" I suddenly petted Grace and said, "Yeah... that was a lie. We won!"

"Really?! That's amazing! How did you guys do that?!"

"Yeah, I'll tell you all about it, Grace."

"But Lows," Ziggs seemed to be curious about some stuff, which will be revealed later. "what about the part after the gym battle? You haven't explained to us yet."

"Yeah, that too." I took them to an open field and we sat around each other. I then explained to Grace what happened throughout the rematch, while having the flashbacks of the final battle...

* * *

"Let's try out Leaf Blade, max power!"

"One last shot, Thunder! Use Electro Ball, full power!"

Woody went close to Thunder to release his attack, while Thunder readied his electro ball. They all unleashed their attacks almost at the exact same time, and the collision of the strong moves form a huge dust...

After the dust faded, both Pokémon seemed to be exhausted. Luckily, Thunder fell face first before Woody collapsed too after a few seconds.

"Thunder is unable to battle! Woody wins! The winner goes to Lows Landerson, the challenger from Kanto!"

 _I finally did it... I finally did it!_ Thinking that, I walked towards the collapsed Woody and petted him. "You did a great job, Woody. Thank you."

Even though he's tired, he still gave me a smile as a response. After returning him, Wattson walked towards me and said, "Wahaha! Looks like you are the victor today. You are totally worthy of this Dynamo Badge!" Saying that, he took out a badge that looks like a coiled wire and handed it to me. I thanked him and put the badge in the badge case.

"Thanks for the electrifying battle! Ya know, energised trainers like you really pumps me up! Let's exchange Pokégear numbers so we can have a rematch again!"

I accepted his suggestion and we exchanged Pokégear numbers. After bidding farewell, I was about to walk through the exit, when suddenly I heard a familiar voice behind me, which is where Wattson is.

"Hey, Wattson! Sorry for going in here so suddenly, but I have some problems that I don't understand, so I just came through your old classic electrifying maze to reach you... Good thing you're not battling right now!"

 _It... it can't be her..._

"Well, I actually just finished a battle. That trainer really has some spunk! That trainer's vibe is similar to yours too. Hahaha! He's right there, about to leave!"

When the teenage girl turned around and saw me, she was definitely shocked like I was. Wattson saw our weird reactions and stayed quiet too. After a while, she finally broke the silence. "Lows, is that you..."

"Y-yeah..." I spit out my words nervously, "H-hi t-there, s-sis..."

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team: (due to someone's request, I'm adding abilities too! :D)**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash; learning-Swift**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam; learning-Shadow Ball**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Woody's evolution? (Special note to flblaziken: I know you want Ziggs to evolve, but it will take him a while :))**

 **Which battle is the most interesting for you?**

 **How do you think of the sudden reunion, and why are they so shocked when they see each other?**

 **P/S: Please give the opinions of backstories! :) And yeah, even though it is over for my country, Merry Christmas and have a good day :)**


	17. Hoenn Backstory 1

**Welcome to my first backstory! This backstory is going to be about Lows' past, which is going to be mentioned in Chapter 16. What has happened to him and his sister? Enjoy!**

 **Of course, this is my first backstory, which is also kinda in a rush due to busy school work and stuff, but an actual chapter will be out soon :) Enjoy!**

 **Backstory 1 - Lows: I Only Want You to Come Back**

"Yes, sis is finally coming back from Hoenn!" Lows happily shouted while he sat in his father's car. The eight-year-old boy is currently going to meet his sister at the dock where the ship will be stopping. After a bit of waiting, his sister finally showed up, and they had a joyful reunion.

Lows' parents hugged his sister while saying, "It's good to see you again, Charmaine!"

Charmaine returned the hug while saying, "Same here, mom and dad." She then looked at her little brother and smiled. She petted his head and said, "So, how's my little bro doing lately?"

"Doing awesome, sis! I can't wait to tell you what happened to me when you're gone!"

"Sounds cool, little bro!" Charmaine smiled while continued, "I also have a lot to tell you about my experiences in Hoenn! Let's go home though, I'm exhausted!"

* * *

After they went home, Lows and his sister spent all their time together. Lows would tell her what happened in the house and at school, while Charmaine will tell her little brother the battles she had in Hoenn, and Lows' eyes sparkled every time his sister told him the intense battle moments.

One day, when Charmaine told her little brother the final battle she had in the Hoenn League, her brother sighed and said, "Dammit sis, I wished you've won the semifinals! You could be the champion!"

"That's okay, because in the end, I trusted my Pokémon and we all did well. Winning is not important, most importantly is that you and your Pokémon have fun. I hope you do that too to your Pokémon in the future!"

"Wow sis, you're so cool and nice to your Pokémon! I wanna be like you in the future!"

"Hehe... it's nothing, little bro."

* * *

Everything seemed to be going just fine, until one month later. It was a late night when Lows had nightmares again, he realized his sister wasn't in the bedroom. Sleepy and confused at the same time, he walked towards the kitchen to get some water. That was the time when he heard arguing at the living room. Out of curiousity, he went closer to the living room and listened carefully.

He first heard his sister shouted, "I just want to become a gym leader in Slateport. Why won't you let me?"

"It's too dangerous! There's still a lot of things that you don't know. Besides, you will be leaving us for a long time, maybe even FOREVER!" His father shouted in anger.

"I just wished you can support my choice, dad."

"Last time when you said you're going to travel in Hoenn, I supported you because I thought you are just going to go home and live with us again after that. But I cannot believe you are actually going to be a gym leader, with no one at your side!"

"But dad-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Lows heard his father put his hands on the table with a big force, and continued, "IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE GYM LEADER THERE, NEVER COME BACK, AND YOU'RE NOT MY DAUGHTER ANYMORE!"

"Grrr... I hope you can accept my decision, dad. I'll go now." Just when she ran away from the living room and walked towards her room, she saw Lows and got shocked. "L-little bro, what are you doing here?"

"N-nothing, sis. What happened over there?"

"Nothing." Charmaine then slowly walked towards their room, and starting packing up her stuff. Lows got shocked by her action and asked, "W-what are you doing, sis?"

"Just packing my stuff before going to Hoenn."

"Wait, what?! Why are you leaving us? When are you going to leave? Not tomorrow, right?" Lows got upset by his sister's upcoming departure and started crying.

"Hey little bro, don't cry... The little bro I know never cries! Don't worry, it's going to be... a few days before I leave."

"Phew, good thing it's going to be a few days! But... I still don't want you to leave, sis..."

"Don't be sad, little bro!" Charmaince petted her little brother and said, "I will have to leave you one day. Once you grow up, how about you challenge me in Hoenn?"

"Yeah, sure!" Lows shouted in jubilation, "I will definitely beat you when the time has arrived!"

"But Lows, when you are with your Pokémon, always remember to not do things that will hurt your Pokémon, both mentally and physically. For example, forcing to evolve early or scolding them when they lost in battles. Make sure you and your Pokémon have the best relationship ever possible, and you can achieve everything with them."

After Charmaine finished talking, she saw her little brother had a confused look on his face. She chuckled and said, "Well I know you don't understand most of it right now, but you'll understand in the future. For now, go to sleep and I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, little bro."

Lows went to the bed, and shortly, his vision became blurry and before drifting off into a deep sleep, he thought he heard his sister said, "I hope that we can meet again..."

* * *

On the next morning, Lows woke up later than usual. He didn't see his sister on the bed.

 _She must've went outside already._ Thinking that, he went out of his room and heard crying sounds. He went to the living room and saw that his parents were crying. Out of curiosity, he asked, "W-why are you all crying, mom and dad?"

"L-lows, your sis... is gone." Lows' father replied him while sobbing.

 _It can't be... It can't be!_ "W-what? She's... gone?"

"I think she secretly went to Hoenn by herself. She left us letters before leaving. Here's yours..." Saying that, his father gave him a letter that was noted, "For little bro". His hands trembled while he was taking the letter, still cannot believe that his one and only sis is gone to Hoenn.

After returning to his room, he opened the letter and read it:

Dear little bro,

If you're reading this, I'm already on my way to Hoenn. I didn't tell you that even though I lost in the semifinals, the champion offered me to be the gym leader in Slateport City.

I'm sorry that I have to leave you all for my dream, but being a gym leader is something that I can only achieve in my dreams. I don't want to have regrets for the rest of my life, so I accepted the offer.

I'm sorry that I had to lie to you, little bro. I just don't want you to be sad that time.(even though you are now) But don't be sad, when you have troubles, just remember that your big sis will always be supporting you in my heart. Put my advice to good use and I believe that you can form a good relationship with any Pokémon you see.

I will be waiting for your battle with me in the future! That's a promise I will live up to!

Thanks for everything, little bro. Take care.

Lots of love,

Your sis.

Upon finishing reading the letter, the tears that Lows had been holding back finally flowed down his cheeks nonstop. He cried, and cried, and cried, knowing that his sister is really gone now, and won't be here by his side for a long time.

"Wah! I only want you to come back, sis... Come back! Wahhh..."


	18. Hoenn 16

**Lows had a rematch against Wattson. Even though Grace couldn't battle, with everyone's hard work and Woody's evolution, they managed to defeat Wattson and get the Dynamo Badge. When he's about to leave, he had a surprising reunion with his sister. What happened between them and what will Lows do as his next action?**

 **P/S: For more information about Lows' past, I suggest you to read Lows' forst backstory in the previous chapter: Backstory 1 - Lows: I Only Want You to Come Back.**

 **Chapter 16 - I'm Lows, Not a Gym Leader's Brother**

"Wow, so that's what happened at the rematch. You all did so well!" Grace suddenly turned to Woody and said, "Ermm... Woody, great job... on evolving!"

"T-thanks, Grace." Woody replied, trying to hide the blush on his face.

"But Lows, that didn't really answer my question-" Ziggs tried to say something but I cut him off.

"Yeah Ziggs, what I'm saying right now is related to your question." I took a deep breath and continued, "What happened was..."

* * *

I nervously waited outside the reall My sister apparently had some problems to discuss with Wattson, and she said she'll meet me later.

After a few minutes, I saw both Wattson and my sister walked out of the gym entrance. My sister said, "Hey Wattson, thanks a lot! Even though you're kinda old, you're still cool and fast at thinking!"

"How dare you call me old... Oh wait, you said that I'm cool and fast at thinking too? Hahaha! You're forgiven this time." Wattson then turned to me and said, "Well Lows, I'll see you again next time!" I smiled and he walked back into the gym.

"So, ermm... How ya doing, little bro?" My sister awkwardly asked me.

"I-I'm doing just fine, sis. W-What about y-you?" I bashfully asked.

"Don't worry little bro, I'm good. Are... mom and dad doing fine?"

"They are fine. It's just that they missed you a lot, me too..." I slowly talked while trying to hold back my tears. My sister noticed my tears and asked concernly, "Are you okay, little bro? I... I'm sorry for what I did."

"No, it's okay..." I said while tears are flowing down my face, as I wiped them off, I continued, "It's just... just that... I'm just surprised... that I can see you... you again..."

She petted me while saying, "I'm... happy to see you too." She then quickly changed the subject, "So, I guess you're currently getting badges from Hoenn?"

"Yup, sis... After the right time has come, I am going to challenge you!"

"Little bro, you got some guts to challenge me. Hahaha... I'll be waiting!" The atmosphere has been lighten up and we talked about stuff that happened when we're seperated, just like what we do in the past. After about an hour, my sister's Pokégear rang. After answering it, my sister said, "Sorry Lows, I have some important things to do. I'll exchange Pokégear numbers with you, so I can talk with you again."

After exchanging Pokégear numbers, we hugged and bid farewell. I know that we'll definitely meet again.

* * *

"So... that's it? But, why are you two so surprised to see each other? What is the stuff your sis is going to do..." Ziggs asked with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, I'll explain that now, Ziggs-" I suddenly saw flashbacks of the past, those terrible memories... I'm not sure if I wanna bring that up again...

"What... what's wrong, Lows?" I was hesitant to tell them what happened to me in the past.

"If you don't want to say it, it's fine. Sorry for forcing you, Lows." Ziggs said with a worried and sorry look.

"No, it's okay... I'll tell you guys about it." Their ears perked up upon my response.

"So what happen was..." I took a deep breath to get the courage to tell the truth. "Two years ago, my sis came back to Kanto from her journey in Hoenn. Everything went normal after that until one month later..."

Tears are forming in my eyes and I tried to hold back, but the memories just came through my brain and after a bit, my tears flowed down from my cheeks as I quickly wiped them away and apologized, "Sorry... Sorry..."

"Are you okay? You don't seem so happy." Surfer concernly asked, but I just kept on shaking my head.

"One month later... I knew that sis was going to have a special... special role in Hoenn, but she had to leave... leave us. But that night... she lied to me..." More tears fell from my eyes as I continued talking.

Seeing my condition, Power took a pack of tissue papers from my bag and gave it to me. I forced a smile and said, "T-thanks, Power."

After I calmed down, I continued, "The day before her departure, I saw her arguing with my parents. When she was packing her stuff, she wanted to comfort me, and she lied that she was going to go after a few days... But the next day, she was gone, just like that..." The emotions are back again, but I tried to finish the story.

"She wrote a letter for me, and when I'm reading the letter, my heart was breaking into pieces... And that was when I knew that my sister was going to be gone for a long time. This is actually one of the reason I came here for the start of my journey. I want to fulfill the promise of battling sis again."

Everyone got touched by my story, but Woody asked curiously, "L-lows, what special role does your sister become? Why did she left in such a hurry?"

I got stunned by his question, as I didn't expect to reveal my secret to my team.

 _I guess it's time..._

I sighed, and told my Pokémon the secret. "My sister... is the gym leader here, in Slateport City..."

"What?! She is the gym leader in Slateport? And... you didn't tell us this through our journey?" Power asked in mixed emotions, both anger and worriness. The anger came from me not revealing this at all, and the worriness came from my sad emotions. I understand his sudden feelings though, I would be like that too if I was him.

"Calm down, Power! I'm shocked too, but maybe Lows has some kind of reason..." Surfer tried to comfort Power with his words. That worked a bit, as Power calmed down a little bit, but still curious for my reason.

"Sorry, everyone... I do have a reason for not revealing this. I want to be known for myself, Lows. If everyone knows that I am the brother of a gym leader, I will only be known as a gym leader's brother. I want to be known through hard work and training."

I sighed and said to them, "I'm sorry for not telling you guys. Can you guys forgive me?"

Everyone nodded except for Power. I thought he was still mad at me but instead, he bowed to me and stuttered timidly, "I'm... I'm sorry for not letting you explain just now. Instead... instead, I... I just asked you my questions rudely. I... I should be the one who should say sorry."

"It's okay, Power. If I was you, I would be like that too." I smiled and petted his head, and he smiled in relief.

"But anyways, what is your sister's Pokémon? What type does your sister specialize in?" Grace asked curiously, as they are going to battle her Pokémon one day.

"If I'm not mistaken..." I tried to search for the memories in the past when I saw my sister's Pokémon. "My sister specializes in Grass type Pokémon. She once told me, 'The aroma of my Pokémon soothes my soul.' I guess grass type Pokémon means a lot to her."

"Well, Surfer apparently has the type disadvantage again..." Ziggs analysed our team's condition against my sister's Pokémon.

"Well, we shouldn't really worry about that, because we're not going to battle her until we battled the next gym leader, which is in..." I checked the Map App in the Pokégear, "Lavaridge Town. This gym leader is called Flannery, and she specializes in Fire type Pokémon."

"Hey, that's pretty good! Let's set our way there!" Surfer happily said, as that is his chance to shine.

"Alright, hold on! We should say goodbye to Cassie before we leave. Let's go." They all nodded, and I called Cassie to meet before we leave.

* * *

"Aww... Are you gonna go already? I was hoping you can stay and we can train together." Cassie sadly said, as she is the type of person who likes to be with people.

"Sorry Cassie, but apparently my Pokémon really want to battle the next gym leader. You're going there too, right?"

"I guess so. But I'm staying here for a few days to explore around. This city is just so big!"

"Haha, have fun with that! Anyways, I think it's time for us to go. Hopefully, I'll see you again soon?"

"Yup, I look forward to that too." We both smiled and hugged each other before bidding farewell. Hopefully, I can see her again.

* * *

After bidding farewell with Cassie, we set on our way to Lavaridge Town. Just not long after we left the city, I felt a strong wind blowing towards me, and my eyes hurt. "Ah! What's that?"

I kept on blinking in pain, and when I recovered from it, I walked away from the direction of where the wind is coming from, and realized that there's a desert there.

"Woah... that looks like it's not a good place to mess around..." Woody exclaimed.

"Yup, I think we should get away from it and continue our way, let's go." We walked away from it, but little did we know that we will eventually go there again...

* * *

"Wait, what?!" I yelled in shock when I saw that the entrance of the Cable Car Base Station is blocked, with a sign saying, "The Cable Car Station has been blocked for urgent reasons. Please come back after a few days."

"A few days... That's not too bad. But what can we do in the mean time?" Just when I'm thinking, I heard some arguing going on near me. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yeah, we sure did... What is that arguing about?" Grace asked in confusion.

"Well, do you guys wanna find out?" They all nodded, and we went closer to the direction of the arguing sounds. If only I knew that this will get me into a big trouble...

 **I'm really sorry for the late update! School is really tiring... Also, my favourite band is disbanding too, and that apparently didn't make me had the mood to write... (Kinda an excuse, but please understand xD) And of course, I've got into more fun games lately, which makes me wasting writing time on playing, sorry! Anyways, I'll try my best, thanks for the ones who are still supporting me!**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash; learning-Swift**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam; learning-Shadow Ball**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Lows' past?**

 **Do you think Lows' reason of keeping the secret is reasonable?**

 **What do you think they will see when they found the place of where the arguing take place?**


	19. Hoenn 17

**Last chapter, Lows met his sister who was gone for 2 years. He then revealed the truth about his sister being the gym leader in Slateport City. He didn't want to tell them because he wants to be known for himself, not a gym leader's brother. After leaving Mauville and going to Lavaridge, they are surprised to find out that the Cable Car Base Station is closed. They then heard arguing and decided to investigate. What trouble are they going to face?**

 **Chapter 17- Trouble for a Mysterious Fossil**

Hiding behind a boulder, we peeked and saw two guys wearing suits similar to Team Will. Or is it the actual Team Will suit...

Anyways, the first sentence we heard is, "Why did you do that without the boss' permission?! You can get fired for that!"

Then I heard the other grunt said calmly, "Don't worry, what I'm doing is for our Plan B to work."

"That's true... Arghh! I guesd there's no turning back now. What are your plans?"

"I've already trapped the workers in the Cable Car Station. Then, we can climb this mountain and get the rare fossil there. Then, we can achieve our grand objective..."

"Alright then, let's go." Soon, they walk the opposite direction of where I'm hiding. Thank god...

"Okay... I think we're good. So, do you guys want to follow them?"

They all nodded, but Ziggs thought for a while and said, "Not so fast, Lows. First, we should..." We listened to him, and after we done what he said, we quickly walked to the track of road where they've been, hoping not to get lost.

"Okay... I think this is the top of the mountain." I peeked sneakily and saw many Team Will Grunts standing there, seemed to be waiting for someone to talk. I then looked to the left, where there's a person standing at a higher position, talking loudly.

 _Boy, he can even break a huge layer of glass with his loud voice..._ I thought while listening to him. He said, "Alright grunts! We're here to achieve our grand objective, getting the rare fossil that only exists in this mountain. If we got it, our mission is complete, and we will be one step closer to completing our plan!" The other grunts clapped and cheered loudly after hearing his speech.

"Alright, before we start searching, let's do our motto!" The grunts all suddenly raised up their hands and yelled.

" **Will to change the world!**

 **Will to be the best!**

 **Will to be alive!**

 **We are Team Will!** "

 _What a simple but weird motto... Especially in conditions like this..._

After they yelled their motto, they started seperating and searching, but some of them are just being lazy and just doing some looking with only their eyes, while some of them are overly hardworking, as they are digging and walking towards dangerous places, not even caring about the fact that they might actually fall into the hot lava.

"What should I do here..." I whispered to myself, trying to think a way to stop them. Whatever they do, it must not be anything good.

Suddenly, one Pokémon let itself out of the Pokéball, as I returned them to avoid any danger. It was Ziggs, and he can actually give me a big help, as he is wise with advices.

"I think we should just play the waiting game now, Lows."

"Huh?"

"Well, there's not much point of us searching, as we don't know what they will do with the fossil. And we have no sense of finding things at all, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right..." I chuckled as I remember what happened last week.

* * *

"Guys, have you seen my Pokégear?" I asked my Pokémon worriedly as I looked around my room. They all shook their head, and we quickly searched around the room, but it was no result.

Just as I was upset at the loss of my Pokégear, I went to my bed to sleep, as it was late at night. Suddenly, I felt something hard when I sat on my bed before lying down.

"Huh, why is something hard on the bed?" I opened the blanket and saw my Pokégear lying there, perfectly fine. I yelled in happiness and told my Pokémon about it. "...and yeah, that's how I found my Pokégear. I also realized that I left it there after chatting with my sister through the Pokégear Chatting App."

"Oh... But we could've found it easily if it was there! Let's just say that we have a bad sense of finding things..." Ziggs chuckled.

I chuckled and said, "Yeah, but sometimes, things just come out when we least expected."

They knew what I meant, and we just laughed together for our terrible sense of finding things, and how easy it actually was to find the Pokégear.

* * *

"Yeah, that experience gave us a lesson that we should never try to find things purposely." Ziggs said, concluding what we should do.

"Yup, we can wait." I agreed to Ziggs' conclusion, but when I looked to the right, there's something weird on the ground. It is a stone fossil with a flame-like shape.

It couldn't be... "Ziggs, do you think this is the fossil?"

Ziggs looked at the fossil, and he is definitely surprised. "W-we're not that lucky, are we?"

"It's true... Things just come out when we least expected..." I gasped, still in surprise. "Let me search its information with my Pokégear." Saying that, I quickly took my Pokégear out, and I checked and realized there's still signal here. That is lucky...

Without thinking twice, I started using the searching engine, "PokéSearch" and typed in, "Mt. Chimney's special fossil". A bunch of results came in, and I opened the top link. I saw the fossil image and all the information about it. I kept on reading while scrolling down fast.

 ** _Fiery Fossil_**

 **A fossil which was discovered by archaeologist and scientist Thomas Trecks at 12 June, 2014. According to what he said, "This fossil contains a mysterious power, that might change the world of Pokémon. I will update more if I discovered something about this fossil."**

 **He also said that this fossil should be about three years old when it was found, which is in the year 2011. The scientist also predicted that this fossil will only appear once every five years.**

 **A few weeks after the announcement about finding the fossil, the scientist went missing, leaving the mystery of the fossil unknown. This fossil was left behind by Thomas and it is now in the new museum in Mossdeep City.**

 _Mysterious power...? What does Team Will want to do with this fossil? Whatever it is, it must be up to no good._

I picked up the fossil and hold it in my hand. It is warm, like something is burning inside it. I wonder what power it has...

"I think we should quickly run away before anyone notice us...!" What a great timing! Just when I said that, I saw a grunt coming right towards me! He obviously saw me, aa he grabbed me quickly and asked me in an angry tone. "ARE YOU SPYING ON US, PESKY INTRUDER?"

"Woah, woah, woah, stop!" I tried to stay calm and shouted at him while still holding my bag and Ziggs tightly, "Firsty, this is an open space for anyone to visit, so I'm not an intruder! Second, I have question for you all too. What do you think you're doing here as a big pack, finding some sort of, weird stone?"

His face turned pale as he found out that I knew their plans. He immediately shouted to the other grunts, "EVERYONE, I FOUND A BOY WATCHING WHAT WE ARE DOING!"

Immediately, everyone gathered around me, with unhappy looks on their faces. Lastly, some of them walk aside, but it's to make way for their leader for this mission.

The man walked towards me and examined me. He asked mockingly, "What are you doing here, young kid? This shouldn't be a place where small kids go."

I got triggered by his words and replied angrily, "I can ask the same! What are you all doing here?!"

"Well, didn't you hear our plans already? Some child trying to act like he knows nothing..."

"Get me out of this grunt's hands first, then we can talk! Arghhh..." I said while still not feeling comfortable of the grunt's action.

"...Alright, let him go for now." The grunt released me, which is a relief... for now. The man then continued, "Now, can I kindly ask, what are you doing here?"

"Humph... I came here, because I know you guys are up to no good! Thanks to your two grunts that screamed loudly down there..." Hearing that, the man glared around all the grunts, he is obviously not happy that I know their plans.

"Well then! I think we have an intruder here. What do you think I should do, child?" He then glared at me, waiting for my reply.

"If what you're doing is clean, you shouldn't be scared of intruders at all." I didn't know how I got the courage to say that, but he was obviously shocked and mad after I say that. He immediately turned to me and tried to said something, but he noticed the weird fossil shape coming out of my bag, despite that Ziggs tried to block it.

 _Oh no, I shouldn't put the fossil in the bag when it is full... I thought he would only focus on Ziggs too..._

"What is that thing in your bag, young kid? Mind if I check it?" Then, he quickly ran towards me and tried to take my bag, and I obviously tried to defend myself.

"H-hey! Don't be a thief here! How about this..."

 _I have to think of a way to buy me some time... then it should work..._

"H-how about we have a battle! If I lose, I'll give you the fossil. If I win, you let me go and no fossil for you!" I tried to sound confident, but nervous on the inside, hoping for him to accept the deal.

"Hmm... Sounds like a deal, but I set the rule. How about a 1 on 1 battle? My Pokémon versus the Zigzagoon on your hands." He pointed Ziggs, who is scared, but he tried to stay calm.

"Ermm... alright, Ziggs, let's battle." Ziggs is shocked at my choice, and asked, "W-why accept the deal? You can ask him to choose another Pokémon... I just... don't have the ability to battle well."

"Ziggs, I always believed in you. You always give me good advices, and you're a great battler. You have to be confident in yourself, in order to achieve great success." Ziggs looked at me, surprised and touched by my words.

"T-thank you, Lows. I will do my best." He said his words, meaning that he is ready to battle.

"Alright grunts, clear some space for the battle!" He commanded, and all the grunts quickly walk further and further away, forming a big circle.

After everything's ready, the man yelled while taking out a Pokéball, "I, the Team Will Grunt Squad Leader, Peggy, shall destroy-" Unfortunately, his words got cut off by my sudden laughter. I just can't help it but laugh.

After stopping my laughter, I said, still trying not to laugh, "Peggy? T-that sounds like a g-girl's name!" After saying that, I burst into laughter again.

Upon hearing that, Peggy's face turned red in embarrassment, while some grunts can't help but chuckled slightly, but stopped after Peggy gave them his usual glare. After that, he looked at me, trying to stay cool after the embarassment.

"Alright, after that lousy joke, I'm more confident to beat you, childish boy." He said while taking the Pokéball out again. "Let's battle!"

Ziggs and I stood firm, ready for his Pokémon to appear. I wonder what it is going to be...

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Zigzagoon, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Growl, Headbutt, Rock Smash; learning-Swift**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam; learning-Shadow Ball**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think Team Will is using the fossil for?**

 **What Pokémon is Peggy going to send out?**

 **Can Ziggs redeem himself this time?**


	20. Hoenn 18

**Out of curiosity, Lows found out that Team Will is finding a special fossil that contains mysterious power in Mt. Chimney. He found the fossil by accident and when he's about to run away, he was caught by Team Will, and was forced to have a 1 on 1 battle with the Grunt Squad Leader, Peggy. What will Lows do to escape?**

 **P/S: The year for this story has been changed from 2016 to 2004. This is because that some parts are not very fitting with the story, and some other reasons that will be revealed in the future.**

 **Also, if you guys don't know, Lows' pronunciation is "Laos".**

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Ziggs' Biggest Wish**

Honestly, I thought that Peggy's going to choose something powerful right from the start, so I stood firm, ready for the worst.

"Dus! Dus!" The Pokémon appeared in front of my eyes, and turns out it is...

A Dustox.

 _Well, not as bad as I thought._ Thinking that, I still keep my guard on. Who knows what can Team Will do with those Pokémon.

"I swear, as the Grunt Squad Leader, the boss really needs to give me better Pokémon..." He sighed, but he quickly returned his gesture. "Alright, my Dustox versus your Zigzagoon."

"Okay, let's battle! Ziggs, use Headbutt!"

"That's all you got?" Peggy sneered. "Dustox, use Bug Bite!" Dustox immediately dodged Ziggs' attack, and when Ziggs tried to recover from his position, Dustox bited him several times before flying away, undamaged.

"That... that hurts..." I can hear Ziggs' cries in pain, but he still wants to battle.

"Ziggs, if you can keep going..." I took a deep breath and continued, "Use Rock Smash!"

"Man, you need to get him better moves," Peggy confidently said before commanding, "Dustox, Toxic."

 _No... no!_ "Ziggs, stop your attack!" Upon hearing that, Ziggs tried to back off, but it was too late. Dustox shot toxins towards Ziggs. Ziggs tried to dodge, but he fell down as he panicked. I watched helplessly as Ziggs is slowly poisoned.

"Finish him with Venoshock." I can't do anything but watch Ziggs getting hit by the attack, and lied on the ground, unable to move.

"Z-ziggs... Get up... I believe in you..." I can only whisper to him softly, still heartbroken by his loss. He always wanted a win, but he just can't seem to achieve it.

"So, young kid, do you know now why you shouldn't mess around with adults? Now, hand me the fossil." Peggy sneered and got his right hand ready, waiting for the fossil to come to his hands.

 _There's no way for me to defend myself now... Should I just... give up?_

"N-no..." I sudden heard a weak voice from the ground. I saw Ziggs struggling, but wanting to get up and continue the battle. "T-this battle... I-isn't over y-yet."

"Z-ziggs, no..." I rush towards him, preventing him to stand. "You're already badly injured from the attacks. You have to stop..."

"W-what about the match? W-we have to win! I'm not giving up, a-and you shouln't b-be too!" He said, slowly getting up.

"I just can't help but think that I'm an irresponsible trainer... I can only helplessly watch you suffer..."

"I-it's my wish t-to win, L-lows." Ziggs gave me a faint smile. "E-every time the others w-win, I can't help but just think that I'm t-terrible. But you are always there, g-giving me confidence. I'll n-never give up!"

"Hmm? Seems like that Zigzagoon got up. But it doesn't matter!" Peggy smirked as he gave his last command, "Dustox, use Psybeam!"

Hearing that, I immediately went in front of Ziggs, blocking the psychic waves. I readied to get hit by the waves, but it didn't. The waves was instead pushed back by a glowing energy.

 _Last time when this happened, Grace evolved... Could it be..._

I turned around to Ziggs, and he smiled while the white energy surrounded him, doing the evolution process.

 _You finally did it, Ziggs. I'm proud of you. Thank you for everything._

After the process is done, Ziggs is no longer the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon with zig-zag pattern stripes. Ziggs is now a slender-bodied, quadruped Pokémon. Most of its fur is white, but it has several brown stripes.

"You did it, Ziggs. Amazing work." I said, while Ziggs' energy seemed to have recovered, but still poisoned. I scanned him with my Pokédex as usual. [Linoone, the Rushing Pokémon. It is the final evolved form of Zigzagoon. When running in a straight line, it can top 60 miles per hour. However, it has a tough time with curved roads.]

"I think I also learnt some new moves, Lows. You should check it out." I listened to Ziggs' advice, and checked his moves.

Alright, Ziggs still has Headbutt and Dig, and his speed will be able to master Swift... Wait, what's this move?

On the Pokédex, it says:

 **New move learnt: Facade**

 **An attack that is boosted if user is burned, poisoned, or paralyzed.**

 _This is perfect!_ I thought while saying, "Ziggs, let's come back from this! Use Facade!"

As Ziggs readied for the move, Peggy apparently isn't ready for the sudden evolution. After he recovered, he finally realized what we're doing, and quickly commanded, "No! Dustox, use Silver Wind!"

Dustox tried to use the move, but it's too late. With the poison effect, the attack is boosted and Ziggs attacked Dustox with full power. Dustox seemed to take a lot more damage. We are making a comeback!

"Ziggs, let's change this battle all around! Use Swift!" Upon hearing that, Ziggs excitedly use the move he always wanted to master it. He spun around and with his fast pace, the star rays has been formed and were shot towards the enemy.

"Oh, nooooooooo!" Peggy screamed in fear as he saw the star rays hitting his Dustox without fail. After that is done, the condition had turned upside down as Ziggs turned the tides and Dustox fainted.

"No... It can't be..." Peggy was shocked by the outcome, but slowly smirked as he said, "Grunts, catch him and get the fossil!"

 _Wait, what?_

Then I finally realized what he's going to do, and I shouted, "Hey, that's unfair! I won fair and square!"

"Team Will has to not play fair sometimes to get what we want." He smirked, and continued calling his grunts to catch me.

"Oh, is that so?" A familiar voice appeared behind me, Peggy and the grunts. The owner of the voice continued, "Well, here's all of them, police. Get them!"

Hearing the word "police", the grunts immediately become scared and started running around between each other, not knowing what to do. But Peggy slowly smirked and said, "Well, so that's what you're doing... Buying time for the police to come." With his smirk still on his face, he took a gray-coloured ball and continued, "But unfortunately, Team Will always plan ahead before we meet troubles! So long, kid. I'll see you again soon..."

I didn't know what is he talking about, until he threw the ball onto the ground. Smoke immediately spread around the mountain, as I quickly returned Ziggs so he wouldn't suffer from the smoke, and covered my nose and mouth to prevent myself from inhaling the smoke. I couldn't open my eyes as my eyes hurt whenever I try to see through the smoke.

After a while, the smoke finally faded, and we realized that Peggy and most of the grunts had already left Mt. Chimney, but still, quite a good amount of grunts apparently didn't see that coming too, as they are still at the same place, panicked.

"Well, I think most of them ran away, but let's catch the rest of them." After saying that, the owner of the voice walked towards me and asked, "Are you okay, Lows?"

I replied him while giving him a smile, "I'm okay, Mr. Steven. Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome, protecting the Pokémon World is what we trainers should all do. Anyways, it's good thing that you called me here."

My smile grew wider as I'm glad that the plan worked. Oh, wait! You guys might still not get what our plan is about! Well, let me show you what we did an hour ago...

* * *

Back to when I suggested my Pokémon to follow the grunts, Ziggs thought for a while and said, "Not so fast, Lows. First, we should probably call for some help. Since according to what they said, it should be a big project, we will be in deep trouble if we fight against all of them ourselves."

"Good idea! Let's see who's available..." I said while checking the contacts list on my Pokégear.

Who should I call... Sis... nope. She said she would have a gym battle with a challenger planned today. She should be busy right now. I can try... Wally I guess.

Thinking that, I tried calling Wally, but he didn't answer. I assumed it's more gym work again, so I didn't complain. But, I'm getting more nervous as I can't find anyone to help.

 _Wait... There's still one person that I didn't call yet... Let's give it a shot._

I called the man that I didn't get in touch with for a while now. After a few seconds, he answered and said, "Devon Corporation, Steven here. Anything I can help?"

"Mr. Steven, do you still remember me? I need help." I said worriedly, afraid that we might be too late to follow the grunts.

"Lows, is that you? What help do you need?"

Talking as fast as possible, I quickly told Steven what happened a few minutes ago. "...and yeah, that's all about it. Mr. Steven, can you help?"

"Yes, I will call the police for help, but in the meantime, you have to go spy on what they're doing. Are you sure you can do that? You might be in deep trouble if you get spotted."

I determinedly said, "I believe I can do this. Besides, I have my Pokémon with me. Thanks for your help, Mr. Steven."

"Glad I can help. I will meet you at Mt. Chimney soon."

* * *

"You guys came here faster than I thought! How did you guys do that?" I asked, confused. How did they reach here in a few minutes? That's insanely fast!

"Well, it seems like the police department had some well-trained Flying type Pokémon that are always ready when the police officers need a fast ride." Steven explained calmly, as he know that I was astonished by how fast they are.

"Anyways, if it wasn't you, I wouldn't have make it out here. Thank you so much." I gratefully said.

"You're... welcome." He seemed not so happy by my thanks, I would rather describe his expression as "nervous" or "guilty". I don't really know why, but I guess I'm not going to find out.

"If there's nothing else, I think I would go back to Devon now. Let's meet again someday." He returned his gesture as he say his goodbye. After saying that, he send out his flying type Pokémon and flew away, but this time I managed to get its Pokédex entry. [Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon. After nesting in bramble bushes, the wings of its chicks grow hard from scratches by thorns.]

"Hmm... I wonder what I should do with this fossil..." I said while holding the fossil on my hand. I still have no clue of what it does, but I felt that it will be something important.

"Maybe... I should keep it for now. I will give it to the museum in Mossdeep when I reach there." Making my decision, I put the fossil back into my bag.

* * *

"B-boss, I'm back." In the secret base, Peggy appeared in front of the boss and informed him. "Most of the grunts made it out too. Unfortunately, some grunts who are clueless didn't manage to get out."

Peggy is ready for his boss' scolding, but instead he laughed evilly and said, "Is the fossil still with the boy?"

"Y-yes, boss."

"Then it would be an easier target for us. His Pokémon aren't even that strong. He only won the battle because his Pokémon evolved at the right time, isn't it?"

"Y-yes, boss!" Peggy agreed to his boss. If that Zigzagoon didn't evolve, he would've totally won!

"Well then, we will totally demolish those foolish people. Peggy, gather the grunts and start going to Mossdeep City!"

"Alright, boss!" He is relieved that the boss didn't scold him, and left happily. The boss suddenly stood up, crossing his arms as he said, "We shall see who's the final winner, Lows Landerson! Muahahahahaha..." He laughed evilly, thinking about his perfect plan. But who knows what his plan will be?

* * *

After everything's finally over, I looked at where I should go and went there. It turns out that we have to go down the slope in order to reach Lavaridge Town. That took me quite a while, as I need to look out for obstacles that can make me tumble and fall, and there are some trainers there too, waiting for a battle with me. My Pokémon took them out pretty easily though, as they are willing to battle after a short break from battling (which are the events at Mt. Chimney, since they didn't get a chance to battle).

Anyways, after I finished going down the slope, I finally found a sign at the very end, saying:

 **To Lavaridge Town**

 **A popular spot in the Hoenn region, thanks to its hot springs, said to cure any ailment.**

 _I guess this sign is for foreigners... Good thing that they placed it here._

I have heard rumors about this place before from some relatives who travel to Hoenn frequently. All they said were the hot springs in Lavaridge Town. They said that the hot springs are just so relaxing to go to, and it very helps you to rest up after a tiring walk down the slope. I guess this will be a fun place to go...

"Alright, let's go to Lavaridge Town!" I happily walked towards my destination. Let's see what Lavaridge Town brings us! Joy? Anger? Sadness? I guess we'll know later. Oh man...

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Double Team, Psybeam; learning-Shadow Ball**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think about Ziggs' evolution? (P/S: flblaziken, I think you're happy now :D)**

 **What's with Steven with his expression when Lows said thanks? Why do you think he's nervous or guilty?**

 **What is with the Team Will Boss' plan of getting the grunts to Mossdeep City?**

 **What awaits Lows at Lavaridge Town?**


	21. Hoenn 19

**Lows fought with the Grunt Squad Leader, Peggy and with Ziggs' evolution, they won the battle and Steven rescued him from danger. After suffering a hard time with going down the slope, Lows reached Lavaridge Town, and what awaits him is going to be another trainer. However, this trainer is different from all the trainers. Who is this trainer going to be and how is his attitude towards Lows?**

 **Chapter 19 - The Nicest Trainer in Lavaridge**

Right when I stepped into Lavaridge Town, the first thing that welcomed me is the warm air from the hot springs. Ah, this feels nice and warm! Maybe I should go to the hot springs when I'm here...

Overall, not many citizens lived here in this town, even the amount of tourists might be more than the citizens here. Anyways, I quickly walked into the PokéCentre to heal my Pokémon.

When I stepped into the PokéCentre, there's another part that is different from the other PokéCentres. I saw a door at the far left corner of the PokéCentre, with a hot spring symbol. I assumed that's the entrance to the hot springs, as there are many people rushing to go through the door, while some workers are helping them to be patient and line up properly.

After I healed my Pokémon, I walked towards there to see if I have a chance to get into the hot springs. It turns out that there's too many people there, waiting for their turn. I'm not really a guy who waits too long for something, so I decided to leave, until a boy similar to my age called me.

"Hey, do you want to go into the hot springs? It's free, but you might have to wait for a little bit longer. There are many people here, after all." He said politely while having his smile on his face.

"Well... No thanks, there are just too many people here, and I don't want to wait for too long." Seeing his kind smile makes me feel comfortable, so I smiled back while giving my response.

"Oh, you're not really a guy who likes to wait? Well, don't worry." He suddenly whispered into my ear, "The time where people are lesser are most likely at night. If you don't want to wait for too long, night time is the best choice for you."

Hearing his suggestion, I agreed that I should go to night time. What a nice worker to give me suggestions...

 _He is such a nice guy! I think I should thank him for that._

"Thanks a lot! Do you give these kinds of suggestions to everyone?"

"Yeah, I told most of the tourists that if they're impatient. But most of them don't really like to spend their night in the hot springs, so they just continued waiting. So, what's your decision?"

"I think I'm going to the hot springs tomorrow night. I'll be here for a while before I continue my journey."

"Your journey? Are you a Pokémon trainer too?!" His eyes sparkled when he realized I'm a Pokémon trainer.

"Yeah, I am, but I'm not that strong compared to others. I still have a lot to learn."

"I'm sure you can get stronger in the future! I raise Pokémon too, but I'm not really good at it..." He hesitantly said, his face turning red.

"It's okay if you're not really strong. You love Pokémon, don't you?" I can tell he loves Pokémon a lot by his expression.

"Y-yeah! I'm glad that Pokémon exists in this world! Ermmm... If you're free, can you come to my house later? I would like to learn more from you." He suddenly offered me to teach him about Pokémon in his house. I got shocked, but I'm also happy that someone would actually want to learn from someone... like me. I guess it's not a bad thing...

"Sure! But wait, aren't you working right now?" I asked in confusion.

"Oh, actually..." He checked his watch before continuing, "My work day is almost done here. I will be off work in a few minutes. Mind if you wait for me here? I'll be back later."

I nodded, and after a few minutes, he came back to me with a new outfit. He is now wearing a red shirt with shorts, looking like an ordinary youngster. Hr then lead me to his house, which is not too big, but enough for a family.

Walking into the house, I saw a middle-aged lady in the house, doing the housework. The boy smiled and greeted, "Hey Mom! I'm bringing my new friend here for a little bit!"

"Alright, boy!" His mother smiled as allowing him to bring new friends to his house, and when our eyes met, I smiled politely at his mother.

He then later bring me to his room and we sat down on two small stools. He then said, "Oh wait! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sip, and I'm 12 this year. I do have a trainer license, but I'm not traveling yet, so I can work for the hot springs here." He then suddenly said in determination, "But, I don't plan on staying here forever."

"Huh?"

"I want to start my own journey too. But unfortunately, I need to work for my family's living too. We don't earn much money working here, so all of us work to earn enough money."

"Oh..." I felt bad for his condition, but I also gave him advice. "But if you really want to go on a journey, you should try to tell your parents. They can be more reasonable than you thought."

"I-I don't know..." He said nervously, "My parents are very worried me on going on a journey. I'm just kind of a country boy who just don't have much experience in battling. I don't go out this town that often..."

"It's okay. Why don't you ask me tips about battling instead?" I quickly changed the topic, and he enthusiastically asked me questions about battling. I guess he really likes Pokémon...

"...So, there are going to be lots of strategies in Pokémon battles, and they can give you a big advantage if you koe them well." After answering his question about strategies in battles, he suddenly stood up, and he nervously said, "Ermm... Your explaination is really nice, I thank you for that. But..."

"Is anything wrong? I tried my best in explaining..."

"N-no! Everything is fine with your explaination. But... I would like a battle with you. I want to learn more by experiencing it myself. I don't battle that often, so this will be a good experience for me."

After thinking for a while, I feel like he needs to learn more about Pokémon battles too. So, I accepted his challenge and said, "Sure! Why don't we go out the field to battle? We can't really battle in your house..."

He nodded, and we walked out of the house and found a suitable place to battle. Some curious people came around us to watch the battle. Pokémon battles don't happen often in this town, after all.

"A-alright!" He said while throwing his Pokéball nervously, "G-go, Magma!"

A limbless Pokémon composed of magma appeared in the battlefield. Its body is bright red, and its lower body is irregular in shape, and occasionally emits bubbles. [Slugma, the Lava Pokémon. A common sight in volcanic areas, it slowly slithers around in a constant search for warm places.]

So this is a Slugma... I heard that Slugma is commonly found in the slopes of Mt. Chimney. I guess he must had caught some there.

Knowing who I should send out, I took out its Pokéball and threw it. "Let's battle, Power!"

Power, who is carrying the heavy item, got Sip's attention as he asked curiously, "What is that heavy item for? I've never seen any Pokémon holding something like this."

"Oh, you'll see later." I smiled while saying, "You can have the first move first."

"A-alright! Magma, use Ember!" He gave out his first command to his Pokémon, and the Lava Pokémon obeyed his command and shot small flames towards Power.

I quickly reacted to it and commanded, "Power, dodge and use Karate Chop!"

Power quickly dodged the flames and sprinted towards Magma before giving it a hard chop. Magma got pushed back by the impact, but still able to battle.

Sip was shocked by Power's speed, despite carrying the heavy item. "Your Pokémon... it's something I've never seen here before... It's incredibly fast despite carrying that item!"

"Thanks, Power had done some speed training, that's why."

"Alright... But I'm not giving up that easily! Magma, Ancient Power!" The Lava Pokémon quickly formed floating boulders, and threw them at Power.

"Power, break those boulders with Karate Chop after using Focus Energy!" Power quickly focused and punched the boulders. The boulders were broken easily by Power, but he also took some damage from breaking the rocks.

"Magma, Ember again!" Magma shot more flames and this time, Power who was starting to become tired, got hit by some of the flames despite that he tried dodging them.

"Power, Low Kick!" Power kicked the Lava Pokémon in succession, but when he came back, small flames started coming out of him as he turned red.

"Oh, no! Magma's ability must be Flame Body, which burns the opponent in contact! Nice strategy, Sip." I praised him, and his face turned red in embarrassment.

"Well, it wasn't really on my intention... But thanks..." He then saw both Pokémon panted hard, then gave his last command to Magma. "Magma, use Ancient Power, full power!"

"Alright then, it's time!" Power knew what I was going to do and readied himself. "Power, use Fling now!"

As Magma charged its attack, Power threw the heavy item as hard as possible. Magma was caught off guard and it threw the boulders in panic. They were both hit by the attacks, but Power didn't take that much damage because of his type resistance and the impact wasn't that strong either. Magma on the other hand, it got hit by the heavy object and collapsed after his last bit of damage was taken away by the attack.

"O-oh, I lost the first battle... Thanks, Magma, you did well." He said as he returned Magma. I also praised Power, "Nice work, Power! Now, take a short break." He smiled in happiness, happy that he won as he got returned back to his Pokéball.

"Alright... This is my last Pokémon. Let's go, Bounce!" He threw his last Pokéball out, and a gray, pig-like Pokémon appeared. It has dark, circular eyes, a large gray nose, a pearl on its head. But the most attention-catching body part is its spring-like tail, as it was bouncing around using it.

It sure does live up to its nickname... It's really cute though! Thinking that, I scanned it and the Pokédex said, [Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. It apparently dies if it stops bouncing about. It carries a pearl from Clamperl on its head.] I got shocked by the entry. That's why it has to keep bouncing...

"What a cute Pokémon!" I exclaimed, happy to see a cute Pokémon here. Bounce, who was happy to hear my compliment, jumped around happily while saying, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Anyways, I thought of which Pokémon I should use after that. I think it's time for it to shine. It didn't battle much since that, after all.

"Go, Grace!" I said while throwing Grace's Pokéball. She gracefully landed on the battlefield, and excited to battle after a long rest from her sickness.

"A Kirlia... I heard that it has a new evolution for male Kirlias now... Are you planning to get one?"

"Not really, she's a female Kirlia." Saying that, I suddenly got curious how Wally got his Gallade. I've never seen that Pokémon that common anywhere. I did see a lot of Gardevoir on TV before though... Might as well ask Wally about that if I have time.

"Anyways, let's start." Sip nodded as an agreement, and commanded, "Bounce, use Psywave!" Upon hearing his trainer's command, Bounce shot a huge wave of psychic power towards Grace.

"Grace, Teleport and use Magical Leaf!" Grace teleported away from the psychic wave, formed the colourful leaves and shot them towards the Bounce Pokémon.

"Bounce, bounce your way through and use Psybeam!" Bounce immediately bounced through the leaves and shot the psychic rings towards Grace. Grace got caught off guard of how fast he is and got hit by the rings, but her type resistance reduced the damage.

"Grace, you want to try that move?" I asked Grace if she want to use the move, despite that she haven't master it yet.

"It will be a great experience to practice. Let's do it." She nodded in determination, and I smiled and commanded, "Grace, Shadow Ball!"

Grace focused her energy and formed a dark blob. She managed to control her power and threw the dark blob towards Bounce. Bounce got hit by the attack and took a huge amount of damage due to its type weakness against Ghost type moves.

"Great job, Grace! You finally mastered Shadow Ball!" I gave her a thumbs up while she smiled in relief too.

"Looks like Bounce won't be able to hold on much anymore... Bounce, use Psywave again, full power!"

"Grace, Shadow Ball once again!"

They both charged up and released their attacks. Despite them both got hit by the attacks, the situations are totally different. Grace barely took any damage from the non-effective attack, while Bounce winced in pain as he suffered the super effective attack and collapsed shortly after. The audience clapped upkn seeing the results.

"Oh, I lost... Well, that is what I expected from an experienced trainer. Haha..." He then laughed foolishly at himself.

"Well, thanks, but I'm not really an experienced trainer. As for you, to be honest, if you practice more, you can be a good trainer." His head raised up at me as he heard my compliment, "You are the nicest trainer I've ever seen in Hoenn. You're kind to your opponents, even when you're battling, and most importantly, you love your Pokémon more than anyone else, even me. I have a lot to learn from you too."

He smiled upon hearing my compliment. "T-thanks, Lows. Thanks for this battle. I will always improve better by training in the slopes of Mt. Chimney."

"Oh, is that so, Sip?" A familiar voice appeared behind Sip, and he turned around and realized that it was his mother. He became embarassed and said, "H-hey Mom, I'm just..."

"No need to explain anything, son." A deep male voice appeared beside Sip's mother, who I assumed that he is Sip's father. "We saw everything, and we really think... you should do something more than just working in the hot springs."

"Wait... Really, Mom and Dad? Won't you two not have enough money if I leave? I can still help..." He was shocked and worried at the same time.

"It's all good, son. When you talked with your Pokémon, I had a feeling that you love Pokémon a lot, and willing to achieve amazing things with them. We can still survive with our salaries, but for you, if we don't let you start a journey, my son's potential won't be shown at all! Go for it, Sip!"

Sip's eyes turned red as he said, "T-thanks, Mom and Dad." After that, they had a big hug together, while the audience clapped at the touching scene. After the hug, Sip's father looked at me and said, "Thanks a lot, trainer. You became a good friend of Sip to let me see his potential in Pokémon battles. You are indeed strong too. I admired you for that. I'll be cheering for you too."

I was surprised by an adult's compliment, but I smiled and said, "Thank you, Sip's father." Then, I turned to Sip and asked, "When do you want to start your journey, Sip?"

"I guess I will start off my journey after your battle against Flannery. I want to watch it so I can learn more from watching battles too."

"I guess that's settled," I smiled at his decision and said, "I'll stay here for a while. The places here are nice and I would like to relax a bit. Mind if you bring me to the hot springs later tonight? Hahaha!"

"Well... That doesn't seem like something that I can't do. Alright! I'll bring you to the hot springs tonight!"

"Thanks, Sip!"

"No problem!" We then laughed at each other, and there we go, a new friendship has begun again. Sip is a very nice friend with good traits, and I hope that our friendship lasts for a long time...

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Sip?**

 **Do you have/meet people with big ambitions, but have to give up due to your conditions?**

 **Do you have supportive parents, or overprotective ones?**


	22. Hoenn Backstory 2

**Alright, this backstory is about one of my favourite game characters, Wally! It's going to be about how he got Gallade, despite that no one ever got a Gallade yet. How did he get it and what happens then?**

 **Backstory 2 - Wally: All Because Of A Stone**

"Alright, so this is the fastest way to go to Rustboro City for our next gym badge..." Wally, who was ten years old, is looking at the entrance to Meteor Falls with his male Kirlia. He currently has 2 badges, one from Mauville and another one from Lavaridge. He also found out that to get the gym badge in Rustboro is to go through Meteor Falls near Fallabor to reach there.

The volcano ashes were unbearable for him, who has asthma, but somehow he manage to get through there. He can't go back to Verdanturf anyways after leaving his uncle's house without telling anyone.

Somehow, his only Pokémon, Kirlia doesn't want to evolve into a Gardevoir at all. His Kirlia is a weird one, as he doesn't want to use psychic powers that often. Instead, he tried to learn physical moves, but not much success has been done.

After walking halfway through Meteor Falls, he noticed someone familiar in the cave, searching for something.

"Oh, aren't you Steven?" After remembering who that was, Wally asked the current Hoenn Champion.

"Yes, I'm Steven. Who are you?" Steven apparently hasn't meet this boy before. He looks like a boy who suffered illness, as his face looks really pale.

"M-my name is Wally. I-I a-admired you so m-much! W-what are you d-doing here?" He could barely hide his excitement to see the Champion.

"Oh, just searching for fossils and rare stones before the Hoenn League starts. I have tons of time here! You want to see some?" He asked with a smile, he is always happy to show others his findings.

"S-sure!" The Champion willing to show me his findings... Awesome! Wally thought while looking at Steven, who was taking out stones from his bag.

"So, I found 3 Thunder Stones, 4 Water Stones, 2 Fire Stones..." He said while taking out every type of stone he mentioned. Wally had never seen those stones before, and it was clearly a great experience and he learnt more knowledge about evolution stones through Steven's explanations. He is always enthusiastic when it comes to rare stones.

"Alright... I think that's about it... Oh wait, I almost forgot about those stones!" He took out the last two stones from his bag. The two odd stones look like eyes as they kept on glinting, and it really sparkles on the inside.

"W-wow, what a cool stone... What are those?" Wally asked in confusion. He had never seen those stones before, not even on TV.

"To be honest, I don't know too. This is my first time finding this kind of stone. I think it has something to do with evolution too, but I don't know what evolution it triggers."

"O-oh..." Wally is shocked now, as even the expert of stone collecting doesn't know what are those stones either.

"Anyways, is your Pokémon... A Kirlia? It's really rare in this region. Do you like to have a Gardevoir?"

"Yeah, I would like to, but my Kirlia doesn't really want to evolve. He would rather learn physical moves by himself."

"Oh, really? That's a weird Kirlia. Well, I don't really know what to do with that... Wait, what's happening?!"

One of the glinting stones suddeny floated by itself, and releasing energy towards Wally's Kirlia. Then, Kirlia started to evolve. After the process is done, Kirlia didn't evolve to a Gardevoir, instead he evolved into a white, bipedal Pokémon. His lower body consists of rounded hips with strong legs. It has a thin green torso with sharp, red horns sticking out of his chest and back. His arms are shaped liketonfas with extendable blades in his elbows.

"What... How did this happen?" Wally asked, shocked as he looked at his newly-evolved Pokémon, and the stone who turned to a normal stone after losing its power.

"Well, that's definitely not a Gardevoir..." Steven said while scanning the newly-evolved Pokémon with his Pokédex. What the Pokédex said shocked them both.

 **[This Pokémon can't be identified by the Pokédex. Its best stats is its Attack, and its learnt moves are Brick Break, Psycho Cut, Leaf Blade and Slash.]**

"I knew it!" Steven snapped his fingers and said, "This must be a new evolutionary stone that triggers a new evolution for Kirlia. I have to tell the Prof. about this."

Saying that, Steven contacted Prof. Birch and the professor answered and said, "Hey, Champion Steven! How are you doing?"

"Doing well, Professor. I have a new discovery to show you."

"Is it another stone? Sorry, you know I'm not interested in stones!"

"It's a stone, but you will be interested in it. I found a new evolutionary stone which triggers new evolutions for different Pokémon."

"Wait, really?!" Steven can even hear the Professor's excitement. "What kind of Pokémon's evolution, and what does the stone looked like?"

"Hold on..." Steven said while he took some photos of Wally's Pokémon, and took the photo of the second new stone. He then sent the photos to Prof. Birch and said, "Apparently, I found out that this stone triggers the evolution for Kirlia."

"Oh my Arceus! This is a great discovery! Good job, Steven Stone!" The professor burst in excitement.

"Well, it was kind of an accident, but I'm glad that happened."

"Oh, wow! This Pokémon looks like a great fighter! What type is it? Is it only Psychic type?"

"Oh, I forgot to check!" Steven said while checking the newly-evolved Pokémon's type. It turns out the Pokémon is Psychic and Fighting type.

"Psychic and Fighting type... Interesting! Interesting! It has blades on its arms... I'll give it a new name and tell the professors about it! I'll name this... Gallade!"

"Sounds like a good name, Professor. I'll give the stone to you later." Steven ended the call and turned to Wally. "Looks like you got yourself a new Pokémon. You might be even the first trainer to have this Pokémon. Good job!"

"W-well, I'm sorry that I used one of your stone..."

"It's okay. It turns out that there's more kinds of stone like this in this cave. I'll discover some more before giving Professor the stone. Why don't you continue your journey?"

"Y-yes! Thanks a lot, Champion Steven!"

"You're welcome." He smiled before going deep into the cave to explore. Wally then walked through the cave with Gallade, who was enjoying his new evolved form. He didn't really like to use psychic powers, and this evolution is perfect for him.

"Well... Gallade?" He suddenly turned to his Gallade and said, "I'm glad that you're enjoying your new evolution. W-why don't I give you a new nickname?"

His Gallade nodded in agreement, and Wally grinned and said, "How about Blade? I know that you'll be a great fighter in battles."

His Gallade, or Blade now, happily jumped around, happy with his new nickname. Wally smiled at the sight, and determinely said before running to Rustboro with Blade,

"Let's get going, Blade! We can do this!"


	23. Hoenn 20

**Last chapter, Lows reached Lavaridge Town and met a trainer when he was trying to go into the hot springs. The trainer is called Sip, and he was one of the nicest trainers Lows had ever seen. This chapter, Lows met another one of his friends, and knew the backstory behind one of his friend's Pokémon. What will he learn from that?**

 **Read Hoenn Backstory 2 - Wally: All Because of a Stone for more information!**

 **Chapter 20 - Special in Our Own Ways**

"Hmm... I wonder what we should do today..." I said, wondering about our plans for today. Sip brought my Pokémon and I to the hot springs last night, and it was really a great experience, and it really relaxed my mind. I don't think I can describe the entire experience in words though... Let's just say, it was indeed awesome.

"Maybe we should just do some training outside, Lows! I wanna ride the waves and beat the next gym!" I turned around, and it was Surfer who spoke, which I already knew by the way he speaks.

"Not a bad idea! We shall go ahead and do that if we have no activities for today. We are staying here for a while, after all."

"Hooray! Let's ride the waves and win!" Surfer jumped around in jubilation. He is always so hyped up when he battles or trains.

It turns out that we have actually no activities for today at all. So as I promised, we went outside and trained for a bit. They are really keeping up with those training, and they are definitely much better than before now.

"Alright guys, I think that's good enough for today. Let's take a rest!" My tired Pokémon stood up, and we started walking back to the PokéCentre, but I saw a familiar guy just coming out from the gym. I quickly walked towards him and greeted him.

"Hey, Wally! Nice to see you there!" Wally turned around at me, and immediately recognized me, as he smiled back and said, "Aren't you Lows? Oh wait, didn't you called me yesterday? I'm sorry, I was doing some work with the gym."

"It's okay, I thought so anyways. It's all over now, so it's all good."

"Hmm... Sounds interesting." We then talked to each other for a few minutes, I then suddenly realized the question I needed to ask him since yesterday.

"Ermm... Wally, can I ask you something?"

"Sure! What is it about?"

"Nothing really... It's just, how did you get a Gallade? It appears to be one of the newest Pokémon, and how did you get it so early?" I was indeed curious to find out the answer.

"Oh... A lot of people ask me this kind of question." He thought for a bit of how to tell me what happened, and after he reassembled the story, he spoke up.

"When I was ten, I left my uncle's house for a journey secretly. I had asthma, so it's the best to leave on my own since I don't want them to stop my decision." He then stopped for a second, closing his eyes, as if he was rewinding the story.

"Eventually, I reached Meteor Falls and met the former Champion." He continued the story after a few seconds, "He showed me a lot of cool stones, and in the end, he showed me two stones of the same kind, and they turned out to be evolutionary stones.

And eventually, my Kirlia absorbed the energy of the stone and turned into a new Pokémon that we had never seen before, which was only revealed lately, known as Gallade.

That evolution was perfect for Blade though, as he doesn't like to use psychic powers that much anyways." He ended the story with a bright smile on his face.

"Wow... That was cool, a new stone discovered to evolve male Kirlias..."

"Eventually, the Pokémon Professors also found out that the stone, known as Dawn Stone, can also evolve Roselia and Snorunt too."

"Hmm, it must be cool to have a Pokémon that evolves through evolutionary stones!"

"Well, indeed it was kinda cool." He smiled at my response, and we talked about our own journey encounters until late night, and we bid farwell before he went back to the gym.

I then went back to the room, still thinking about how cool it would be to have a Pokémon that has special evolution methods. I was so focused on my thoughts, that I didn't realize that there had been a conversation going on between my Pokémon...

* * *

"Hey, look at Lows! He looks excited in his thoughts! What do you think he's thinking?" Surfer asked the other Pokémon's opinions.

"I bet he's thinking about one of his friends." Woody made a wild guess.

"Hmm, how about our experience last night in the hot springs? That was fun!" Power exclaimed. He really thought that they should go there again.

"Maybe he's excited about the upcoming gym battle?" Grace's answer apparently had some point too.

"Hmm, according to his conversation with Wally, I think he would like to own a Pokémon that evolves through evolutionary stones, or something like that." Ziggs thought well about it and concluded, and everyone seemed to agree with his opinion too. They later saw Grace suddenly feeling down.

"What's wrong, Grace?" Woody concernly asked.

"N-nothing... It's just that, I feel like my appearance prevented Master Lows from getting a Gallade, which is a special Pokémon..."

"Why is that?"

"Well, before I appeared in front of him at the route, he was excited to get a Gallade. But I was so selfish about getting a pure-hearted trainer, I just went towards him without thinking his thoughts. I feel like I'm just not that special compared to other Pokémon, and maybe Lows should switch me with them..." Grace felt like she's a burden to the team.

"No, d-don't think of that!" Woody shouted in disagreement and worry, "Everyone is special just the way they are, including you. You're strong and beautiful in your way!"

After seeing Grace's face turning red, he realized he blurted out something too fast without thinking, and quickly added, "E-everyone here thinks that you're great too! R-right guys?"

"Yeah, we think so too." Woody heaved a sigh of relief as he heard agreements of his opinion towards Grace.

 _Phew... That was close..._

"T-thanks, guys. Now, let's ask what Master Lows is thinking."

They all nodded, and walked towards Lows.

* * *

"Lows? Lows!" I suddenly heard someone calling me, and that pulled me out of my deep thoughts. "Y-yeah, what's up, guys?"

"No, I'm just curious, Master Lows-"

"Grace, just call me Lows. That seems a little bit uncomfortable for me, and I want you all to treat me as a friend, not just a trainer."

"A-alright, L-lows. We were just wondering... What were you thinking? You seemed to be lost in thought!"

"Nothing really. I was just wondering how cool it would be to have a Pokémon with special evolution methods in our team."

"Ermm... How about a Gallade? You can switch me for a Gallade." I got shocked by Grace's words, and I can hear bitterness in her voice. Apparently, I think she feels down because of my thoughts. The other Pokémon seemed to be shocked too.

"Grace, don't be down, that's not what I meant!" I tried to cheer her up, and told them my honest opinions. "To me, you all are the best. I was just thinking about it, just thinking about it... I feel like you five are already enough to me, and I would not catch the last Pokémon in our team, unless it wants to join us."

I then petted Grace's head and gave her a comforting smile, "I didn't know that my sudden thoughts can make you feel so down. I'm sorry."

She looked up at me, and she seemed to feel much better now. I'm glad she took my words into her heart. I really learnt a lesson today: Never tell anyone words that might hurt them by accident.

"Thanks, Lows, everyone... I guess we are all special in our own ways... I will always keep that in mind now."

We all smiled, glad that she turned back to the usual calm and determined self.

"Well, I'm glad that you are happy again. So, what do you guys want to do for tomorrow?"

"Let's go to the hot springs again!" Power shouted.

"We can train some more..." Surfer still wanted to train.

"How about..." They all excitedly gave me their suggestions, and I listened, my smile getting wider. I hope no matter what happens in the future, we will still always be that close...

* * *

 **School has been insanely busy! I'm sorry for my procrastination. I'm just drowning in school work and CS:GO. Hopefully I'll get to update this more frequent now... This is also more of a filler-ish chapter (only 1680 words, my shortest so far ;(), but nevertheless, hope you enjoyed. Thanks for supporting me!**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Pokémon with special evolution methods?**

 **What other ways can you think of to evolve Pokémon? (Use your imaginations! :D)**

 **Do you sometimes feel yourself being a burden to the others like Grace? If so, how did you cheer yourself up, by your own or others' help?**


	24. Hoenn 21

**Last chapter, Lows met Wally again, and Wally told Lows about how he got his Gallade, Blade. After that, Lows' thoughts eventually made Grace felt down, as she didn't think she was special. But eventually, they all learned a lesson that they are all special in their own ways. This chapter, Lows had a dream of his past memory again, and Sip eventually had a way to get Lows closer to the mystery. What way is it going to be?**

 _Also, a quick reply to a review from the guest QuietRoseThorn:_

 _Team Will's true colours will eventually develop throughout the story. One of it will be mentioned in this chapter. The leader of Team Will is also revealed in this chapter. And like what Lows said in the last chapter, he will get the sixth Pokémon eventually, but we'll see how he gets it. Thanks for reading and supporting! :D_

 **Chapter 21 - Regaining the Full Memory**

"Arghh... Where am I?" I realised I was in Petalburg Woods again. Didn't I already past here long ago?

I then looked around, it looks strangely darker than what I'd last seen here. I suddenly found out that my body size had decreased into a kid's body size, and my legs suddenly moved by themselves, walking deeper into the forest.

"Where's Mom and Dad? I better find them fast, or not..." The familiar words suddenly came out of my mouth, I didn't even know why did I said that. Suddenly, I felt like someone, or something, was following me. I looked back...

"AHH!" A bunch of Bug type Pokémon appeared right in front of my eyes, and I screamed on the top of my voice, not just because that I'm scared of a big amount of scary looking bugs, it was also because I realised...

We're back in this terrible memory. Again.

I tried my best to get out of this nightmare by yelling inside my heart, _Wake up, wake up!_ Unfortunately, it didn't work at all, as the incident continued taking place.

 _Don't trip over that rock... Don't trip over that rock!_ That's the sentence I was yelling on the inside after trying to wake myself up. It didn't work out really well as well, as I tripped over a rock, pain coming from my right leg.

I can only watch helplessly as the bugs slowly approached me. Even though I knew that I will be safe in the end, but it was still terrible to go through this horrifying memory again.

The man appeared again, but instead of taking out of his Pokéball, he screamed at me with a familiar voice, "Lows, wake up!"

Listening to that, I tried my best to open my eyes. After what seemed like forever, the forest image slowly became blurry, then disappeared...

* * *

A bright light suddenly came into my eyes, and it seemed that the dream is over, and I'm at my room now. I sighed in relief, but shocked to see that Surfer is on the ground, groaning.

"That isn't fun... Getting knocked down the floor by my trainer who was having a nightmare..."

"I'm sorry, Surfer. Are you okay?" I tried to carry him back up, but as my feet touched the ground, I felt pain coming from my right leg.

 _Isn't that just a dream? Why is my leg painful here too..._

Suddenly, seeing my expression, Surfer said, "I think you kinda injured your leg when you kicked the wall. I guess you're having a really terrifying nightmare. Are you good?"

 _Oh... It makes sense now._

"I'm good, Surfer. It was just a terrible past memory."

"What was it about, Lows?"

"Ermm... I would rather not talk about it, it's horrifying."

"Okay then. But I think we should get some more sleep, so we can ride the waves tomorrow!"

"Wait, is it still early?" I looked at the clock and the time shocked me: 3 a.m.

"Wow, I guess I did wake up too early." Saying that, I went back into my bed and said, "Let's get some sleep then. Good night, Surfer."

"Night, Lows..." He closed his eyes, and quickly fell into a deep slumber. Myself though, I can't fall asleep, thinking of the terrible nightmare. Maybe this dream is reminding me one of my purposes to be here: To find the mystery trainer who saved me three years ago...

* * *

"Lows, what's wrong?" Ziggs noticed my tired face in the afternoon, and asked me concernly.

I tried to make myself look more energized and said, "N-nothing! What's wrong, Ziggs?"

"You seemed very tired. Did you stay up late last night?"

"Not really, but I'm fine. Don't worry!" I gave him my usual smile, but at the worst timing possible, I yawned, showing my tiredness.

Ziggs obviously saw that and said, "Lows, you're definitely tired. You should go get some rest at home instead! We can stay at home too. There's still tons of time, after all."

"I don't really want to hold you guys back with your training... Go on! I-I'm good." I tried to make him less worried, but in fact, I didn't even sleep since 3 a.m. because of that nightmare.

"A-alright then." He went back to training with the others, while I just stood there and watched, commanding sometimes when necessary. I just can't train with them with my condition right now.

Suddenly, I felt a little bit drowsy, but I just stood there and did nothing, hoping that the drowsiness will fade away. Unfortunately, I felt drowsier as I struggled to stand still. After a short while, I fell onto the ground, and everything went pitch black in my sight...

* * *

"Do you think he's okay? I'm worried..." I hear a familiar voice right beside me.

"Don't worry, Sip. He'll be fine. Why don't you have lunch with us downstairs first?"

"S-sure, Mom." Then I heard footsteps, which slowly became softer and softer, eventually gone.

 _Can't... I'm drifting off again..._

I slowly lose consciousness again, and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Are you sure he's okay? He's been sleeping for hours now!"

"Relax! This isn't the first time you seen him going through tough times like these! He'll be fine..."

Listening to those sounds, I slowly opened my eyes, and realized that my Pokémon is here, Sip too.

"Oh, he's awake!" As soon as Sip said that, everyone approached to me and asked me questions, worried.

"Are you okay, Lows?"

"What happened to you?"

"You suddenly fainted right in front of our eyes, we're so worried!"

"Woah, guys..." I tried to calm them down, and said, "I'm good. It seems like I've been sleeping forever, though."

"Not forever, only for seven hours..." Sip's voice suddenly appeared, "Your Pokémon suddenly approached me. I can't really understand their words, but it seemed like they really needed help, so I followed them, and saw you fainted. I carried you back to my house. Good thing that you're skinny..." I chuckled while hearing the story.

"Anyways, now Lows is awake..." Ziggs asked, concerned, "What happened to you that time? You just fainted right in front of our eyes!"

"Yeah, about that..." I decided to tell them the truth, as I think I had to say it in this situation, "I didn't get any sleep since three in the morning. I guess I was too tired and fainted..."

"Three?! Why did you wake up so early?"

"Well, a past memory came back to me. It was indeed terrifying... But it was also one of my main purposes to come here."

"You never told us about it though!" Power said, "You should really tell us! It's not like you would feel better by keeping it inside your heart alone!"

"Yeah... I guess you're right, Power. Thanks." I then looked around everyone, asking, "Do you guys want to know what happened to me in the past, too?" With no hesitation, they nodded their heads.

"Alright, so what happened was, three years ago..."

"And... that's all about it." I told them the last bit of my memory, and they seemed to become quiet, as if they were thinking about my past memory.

"So... You came to Hoenn, to find out who was the mystery trainer who saved you?"

"One of the purposes is this, anyway." I replied to Sip, "But so far, I've been leaving this progress behind, just enjoying gym battles and my times with my Pokémon and friends. But this memory came back to me again, and I feel like this is still something I should check on again."

"Hmm... Sounds interesting..." Sip thought for a while and said, "I think someone here can help you."

I immediately asked to find out who that "someone" is, "Who is it? Can it really help me?"

"Yeah, I think so. He is a doctor and psychologist in Lavaridge, and he cures many people here. Maybe he can help you!"

My eyes sparkled through his suggestion, "Yes, I would definitely like to see him! It's always worth a try. Can you take me there?"

"Sure!" He walked out of the door, and I quickly followed him. After less than a minute, we reached in front of a normal house, except that in front of the entrance, there's a sign that said:

 **Polas' Home Medical Service**

 **Proud to be a Doctor and Psychologist!**

"Dr... Polas?" I read his name carefully, hoping that I got the pronunciation right, which is a relief as I saw Sip nodded his head, meaning that I got it right.

"Let's go in." Saying that, he opened the door and greeted a man inside the house, "Good evening, Dr. Polas!"

The middle-aged looking man smiled at Sip and noticed me too. He said, "Well, it's been a long time, Sip! It seems like you brought a new patient?"

"Yeah, Dr. Polas. This is Lows, and he needs help with his past memory." Dr. Polas changed into a curious expression as he heard the word "past memory".

"Seems like an interesting case. Lows, why don't you sit down here?" I sat on a stool, and he gave me a cup of tea. I thanked him for the tea and took a sip of it.

"Alright, why don't you explain it to me, fully detailed too, please? The more information you give, the more I can find out." He asked me politely, and I told him everything I knew.

"Seems like a case of psychological trauma. That memory... It's terrifying, isn't it?" I nodded, as I still tremble from the nightmare every time I think about it.

"Sounds like it. Memory loss is a natural survival skill and defense mechanism humans develop to protect themselves from psychological damage.

Emotionally traumatic events can lead to dissociative amnesia, which helps a person cope by allowing them to temporarily forget details of the event.

A person will often suppress memories of a traumatic event until they are ready to handle them, which may never occur."

It sounds complicated, but I can somehow understand it. He then continued, "But unfortunately, the part where you forgot, is probably the most useful information for you: the identity of the mystery trainer. You might've seen him before, but you just didn't remember due to psychological trauma."

Great... So the memory I had loss might be the most important part I should've knew... Great.

"If you want, I might have a way for you to regain your memory, but it might not work." Glitters of hope came from the doctor, and I raised up my head and looked at him intently, ready to know the way he's talking about.

"I will use my Hypno to hypnotize you, and try to make you remember the entire event. But as I said, it might not work. Do you want to try it?"

 _It's worth a try. I have to know who he is._

"Alright, I'll take your suggestion, Dr. Polas." He smiled at my determination, and told me to lie down on a bed, which I assumed it's for the hypnotization.

"Come out now, Regain." He said while opening his Pokéball, sending out his Hypno. I scanned it with my Pokédex, as Hypno is not a species that is common in Hoenn. [Hypno, the Hypnosis Pokémon. It carries a pendulum-like device. There once was an incident in which it took away a child it hypnotized.]

I freaked out after reading the terrifying entry. Dr. Polas seemed to notice it and gave me a calming smile. He then explained, "Don't worry. Regain is well-trained to help me with hypnotizing other patients. He's also quite friendly too."

 _Phew... That's a relief._ I thought while looking at the Hypnosis Pokémon. Regain gave me a smile, and I can feel his friendliness, and my nervousness disappeared and I smiled back too.

"Are you ready, Lows?" Dr. Polas asked me for confirmation.

I took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, I'm ready for it."

"Alright then. Regain, let's start the process."

Regain send out his cries, which the Pokétalk translated to, "Let's start, patient!" Then, he started moving the pendulum in front of me.

"Now Lows, look straight at the pendulum." I did what Dr. Polas told me to do, and my eyes moved along with the pendulum.

"Your eyes are starting to get tired, you just want to close them and go into sleep..." He said in a calming tone, which calmed down my mind along with the pendulum. Slowly, my eyes were starting to get tired, even though I just slept for seven hours. In the end, I just completely lost my consciousness...

When I "opened my eyes", I found out that I'm in Petalburg Woods again, and if I have a choice, I really don't want to go through all of this again...

A voice suddenly came out of my head, and I recognized the voice as Dr. Polas's voice. He asked, "Lows, what did you see?"

"I'm in the forest again... I can move freely for now, though..."

"But, the same incident will happen again. I know you don't want it to happen again, so I have a way."

 _There's even a way to skip through this? No way!_ I thought curiously while I heard Dr. Polas commanding, "Regain, skip the dream until the part when he was saved."

The scene suddenly changed to me lying on the grass, then I heard the deep male voice, "Warrior, take those guys out!"

 _We're back here again..._

"Lows, what are you seeing now?" Dr. Polas asked again, and I replied, "I heard the mystery trainer sending his Pokémon out, and a Metagross took out all the wild bugs..."

"Good! This is the moment of truth now..." I suddenly heard footsteps of the mystery trainer. He ran towards me and asked, "Little boy, are you okay?!"

It should've turn pitch black now, and my memory has ended.

But it didn't.

It didn't.

Instead, my head raised up, trying to look at the man's face, but suddenly, another voice appeared, "Hmm, so it's you! Why do you have to interfere with our plans every time?"

Dr. Polas' voice also came into my head, "Lows, did your memory went further? Did you saw something new?"

"I... I did! I didn't manage to look at his face, but I saw his suit, which was a very formal black suit! But now, another guy interfered, who was wearing a red suit, with a 'W' sign... Wait, it's Team Will's suit!"

Dr. Polas went silence, as if he was thinking, and after a while, he said, "Alright Lows, I'll stop asking you questions for now. I want you to tell me what happened in your memory after the hypnotization is finished. Understand?"

"Alright..."

The voice in my head suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by the arguing of the two man in the forest. The mystery trainer said, "Azore, the boss of Team Will, I understand that your team wants to change the world. But releasing Bug type Pokémon and hurting innocent kids? I'm not taking these activites as ways to change the world!"

I had a good look of the boss of Team Will's face though, he had many terrible scars on his face that looked terrifying, with a moustache covering his mouth. He said, "Well, we were going steal the other trainers' Pokémon with these bugs, the more the merrier! After we stole a trainer's Pokémon, this kid walked into the forest. We don't know if he saw everything or not, so we have to find a way to..."

"Get rid of him?! No way, that's out of the limit! I won't let you do this!"

"Well, since our plan to get rid of him failed, I have another plan, alright? It's good for everyone!"

"What is it again, Azore?"

"Well..." He said while sending out a Pokémon. It looks like a combination of a crab and a lobster, with sharp claws and a star-shaped growth on its forehead. It does not look friendly at all.

The boss of Team Will suddenly commanded, "Crawdaunt, use Crabhammer on the kid!"

"What?! I can't let you do that! Warrior, use Bullet Punch!" Unfortunately, it was too late as the attack hit my head, and the impact is way too strong. I became dizzy and slowly, finally, my perspective of the incident ended...

* * *

"Arghh!" I opened my eyes, and I realized the dream is over. I saw Sip, Dr. Polas and Regain looking at me, concerned. Sweat are all over me, and I needed some time to calm down before telling them what happened through the hypnotization.

"It seems like you regain your memory, but you still didn't see his face at all throughout the incident, nor you heard his name too. Are you sure you're going to find him? It might be a hard task."

"I will... That's one of my main purposes here."

"Alright then, good luck with that. I'm sorry that the hypnotization didn't work much."

"No, at least it gave me some information. The man wears formal suit even in the wild, and he has a Pokémon named Warrior... Through these clues, I can find him. I'm sure of it! Thank you, Dr. Polas."

"No problem, Lows. Glad I can help. That's why I'm proud to be a doctor! I can help everyone with my abilities as a doctor!"

"Thank you so much. You too, Regain." I petted him, and he seemed to enjoy it.

"I'll see you soon, Lows!" Dr. Polas said, and I nodded in agreement. We bid farewell, and I walked my way back to Sip's house with Sip.

* * *

On the way, I thought about many things.

 _Who is the mystery trainer? I really don't know... I guess I'll find out throughout my journey. I can search for him in every city, perhaps. I won't rush it though, but I want an answer before I leave Hoenn._

 _...Oh, and the gym badges too. The Hoenn League is going to be in a few months, I should really be hurrying... We had to leave here someday, no matter how great this place is, anyways._

Thinking that, I made a decision.

"Sip, can we go to a place before we go back home?"

* * *

"They're back! They're back!" Right when we reached upstairs, Surfer already noticed us and called the other Pokémon.

"Good call, Surfer. I have something to tell you guys, too." Surfer curiously looked at me, but he decided to wait until everyone arrived to know what's going to happen.

"Alright, everyone. I know this is quite sudden, but... we are battling the Lavaridge Gym in 2 days."

They gasped upon the sudden announcement. They got this kind of surprise too when I announced the date of battling Wattson, but they were still surprised. I would react like that too if I were them, though. It was a big announcement to take in, after all.

"Ermm... Why? We're having a good time here, aren't we?" The other Pokémon agreed to Power's words.

"Perhaps you have some other reasons, Lows?" Grace asked calmly, despite hearing that they are battling the gym leader soon.

"Yeah. The Hoenn League is about to happen in a few months, and I want everyone to be prepared by that time. Also, I would like to try and search the mystery trainer in every city, and see if I can make any progress. I really want to find the mystery trainer to thank him. I could've been eaten alive by the bugs if he didn't come..."

After saying my reasons, my Pokémon seemed to become silence, as if they were thinking. Surfer was the first one to stand up and said encouraging words, "Well, it's not like this is the first time we got this kind of surprise, right guys? Let's work hard, and ride the waves to victory!"

My other four Pokémon looked at their unofficial leader of the team, then looked at me with determination in their eyes. I guess they are ready for it.

"We're always ready for you, Lows. If we work as one, the results will always be positive. Let's do this." Ziggs gave us wise advices as usual. I sometimes wonder if the Pokédex scanned him wrong as a Naive Nature. If it is true, I guess he's just lacking experience: in battling. But eventually, he will definitely improve.

"Thanks, everyone." I quickly stood up and ready to walk downstairs, but my Pokémon asked curiously, "We're not training now, are we? It's almost night time!"

"Who said that we're training? It's just that... I'm hungry. Sip, did your family mind if my Pokémon and I have dinner here?"

"Hmm... I'm pretty sure that they won't mind. Let's go and have dinner, Bounce and Magma!" He sent out his two Pokémon, and our seven Pokémon and us two trainers walked downstairs to eat the mouth-watering food.

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Mud Slap**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Who do you think is the mystery trainer?**

 **How do you think of hypnotization being the way to regain Lows' memory?**

 **How do you think of Dr. Polas?**


	25. Hoenn 22

**Last chapter, Lows dreamt of his past's worst nightmare again, and decided that he needs to find the mystery trainer. Sip brought him to Dr. Polas, a doctor and psychologist. Dr. Polas eventually found a way to regain Lows' memory: through hypnotization. But the identity of the trainer is still not revealed, and Lows decided to battle the gym leader earlier, due to wanting his Pokémon to be prepared, and he wanted to find the trainer through every city. How will he do against Flannery?**

 **Chapter 22 - The Blazing Battle**

The night before the gym battle, we just finished training and were relaxing in the room.

"That was a good day training, guys. I think we will be prepared for Flannery." I encouraged them for the upcoming gym battle.

"Yeah! I think we can do well. We worked hard over the past two days!" Surfer exclaimed.

"I just hope that Flannery won't defeat our team like how we got defeated by Wattson last time..." Power said, worried.

"We'll be good, don't worry! We did well with our training, and it's time to show them our abilities." Ziggs comforted Power with his wise words.

"Guys, wanna watch TV again?" I asked, and they all nodded in agreement. I opened the television, and if I'm not mistaken, the show right now should be talking about the progress of trainers with the Hoenn League. _I wonder how all the trainers are doing with their progress..._

"Welcome to the Trainers program!" The reporter from the last time showed up on the screen again, and he talked about the world's best trainers' history, like Gold and Brendan. I eagerly waited for the reporter to announce the trainers with the best progress.

"To end off the Trainers program, let's take a look at the progress of the newcomers for the upcoming Hoenn League! First off, still taking the lead after three weeks, Harry is not just known as the gym leader's son anymore. He is now known as one of the best trainers to be in the Hoenn region! With six badges, no one can currently surpass him."

 _Harry... I haven't seen him for a while now. I guess he's doing well... But, I wonder if his attitude towards his Pokémon changed, just a little bit?_

The reporter then announce the second person and the third person, which are names I've never heard of. _I guess trainers are starting to catch up..._

They seemed to be getting their directions right, as almost everyone who is on top of the list has at least 4 badges. _I'm still a little far behind, aren't I?_

"Well, let's sleep early, guys. Good luck tomorrow." Immediately, I went to sleep almost immediately after going into the bed.

* * *

"Alright... We're here." Sip and I are now standing in front of the gym, about to go in.

"I bet I'll learn a lot from your battle, Lows." Sip said, eager to watch the battle.

"Thanks... I just hope I do well and get the badge." I nervously said, as I don't know much about Flannery's Pokémon.

"Nah, don't worry. I am sure that you'll do well. Even if you lose, you will still get a lesson."

"Yeah, perhaps you're right, I have to try. Let's go-" Suddenly, the door opened by its own, following a familiar person walking out of the gym.

"Harry?! What are you doing here... Didn't you already get six badges..." I said, annoyed. He apparently was shocked and a little bit annoyed to see me too.

"Just got my seventh badge. I battled the gym leaders that I'm more confident of, then I battled the gym leaders that has the type advantage on my Pokémon, so I can plan strategies. This is called, 'being strategic', don't you know?"

"I know what it is..." I groaned, but Harry seemed to be a little bit nicer compared to last time for some reason, perhaps maybe because he is in a good mood due to winning his seventh badge. _He is getting the badges fast..._

"I plan on waiting a little bit for the last three badges, though. The last three gym leaders are tough, after all."

"Hmm?! Who is the last three gym leaders that you're talking about?"

"It's- Non of your business!" He suddenly changed to his arrogant voice, making me confused and a little bit angry. _I guess he changed a bit, but not that much..._

He then looked at me and asked, "Well, what about you? How many badges did you get, zero?"

"Of course not... I got two badges."

"TWO?! HAHAHAHAHAHA..." He then laughed loudly, which seemed to be on purpose as well, which made me feel mad. "You're really far behind compared to the others! You sure that you'll be qualified for the Hoenn League?"

"I will, and I'll prove you wrong!"

"We'll see. I'm gonna leave this place now, the smells of the hot springs here are terrible!" He then quickly jumped off the ledges, meanwhile I saw Sip getting mad, probably because Harry said something bad about his home town.

"Don't worry Sip, you'll get used to him someday..." Sip sighed then gave me a bitter smile, we then walked into the gym together, hoping for the best.

"Geez... It's hot in here!" Sip exclaimed the moment we stepped into the gym. The hot steam immediately took over us. It's so hot!

"I guess this heat is acceptable, as this is a Fire type Gym.." I said while sweating.

"Oh, another challenger! Let me check the booking list..." A man with red clothes quickly checked the booking list and found my name. "Lows Landerson from Kanto, am I right?"

"Yeah, I told you that I'm challenging Flannery today, sir."

"Absolutely! You may walk into the battlefield, while your friend here has to go towards the arena seat. Is that acceptable?" Sip nodded, and gave his support before walking towards the arena seat. "Lows, go for it! I'll support you at the arena seat."

 _Guess it's time... Let's have confidence in ourselves._ I took a deep breath and walked into the battlefield.

"Another challenger... This shall be interesting." A gorgeous-looking girl appeared at the other side of the battlefield, looking determined to defeat me. She doesn't want to lose to me at all.

 _I heard that Flannery is admired for her beauty and strength... Must be a tough one to defeat. I should not let my cover down at all._

"This battle will be a three on three single battles. The challenger is able to switch his Pokémon and have the first move too. The winner is decided when all the opponent's Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you understand and agree the rules, Lows from Kanto?" The referee looked at me, and I nodded my head, ready to battle.

"The battle between Flannery and Lows will now... begin!"

"Let's show them, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball, and she landed gracefully and calmly on the battlefield.

"Let the flames burst, Flame!" Another Slugma appeared on the battlefield, but it looked way more stronger than Sip's Magma.

 _It looks very strong... I should be careful._

"Grace, use Psybeam!" Grace nodded and shot the psychic rings, but Flannery didn't seem to be scared at all.

"We know how to counter special attacks like these." She smiled and commanded, "Flame, use Light Screen!"

Flame formed a barrier of green light, and the rings went through the barrier and hit Flame, but Flame didn't seem to take much damage from that.

 _That's what Light Screen does... Reducing special attacks when they go through it. Grace has no physical moves, so despite that the damage will be reduced, Grace has to use special attack moves to defend herself._

"Grace, Shadow Ball!" Grace formed a shadow blob and shot it towards Flame.

"I guess Grace doesn't have physical moves. Time to prepare for ourselves. Flame, Sunny Day!" Suddenly, a blazing sun appeared on top of the battlefield, making the hot battlefield even more scorching.

 _That will be a big advantage for her..._

"Flame, let's show them! Smog!" Flame immediately released a purple, poisonous gas that forced Grace to take a step back.

"Grace, Teleport away from the smog!" Grace did what I told her to do, but Flame just kept on releasing the poisonous gas, Grace had to use Teleport a couple of times to get away. What I noticed is when Grace is teleporting, Flannery just kept on mumbling, "A, B, C, D, A..."

 _What is she doing?_

"Ah ha!" Flannery apparently figured something out and said, "Grace teleports in the same pattern in four different places! We know where to use Smog now." She then observed where Grace was, and commanded, "Flame, use Smog at your three o'clock direction!"

Flame quickly released the gas at the direction. Flannery definitely predicted Grace's teleporting pattern correctly, as Grace teleported to the place where the smog was released. She inhaled the gas and slowly, signs of poison were shown from Grace. She looked tired and was about to collapse.

 _There's only one thing I can do to stop her from taking more damage... She seemed like she's going to faint in just a second. I have to do it._

"I'm removing Grace from the battle, referee." Flannery smiled at me and said, "Good, you seemed to know when to not force your Pokémon too hard."

"Lows has chosen to remove Grace from the battle. Flame wins!"

"Arghh..." Grace winced in pain before saying, "Lows, I think you did the right decision. I shouldn't force myself too hard. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you do much though, I will do better next time."

"It's okay, Grace. Surfer and Ziggs will help us. Thanks for your help." I thanked Grace and returned her to her Pokéball.

"Let's go, Surfer!" Surfer appeared in the battlefield, eager to battle.

"We'll ride the waves and win, Lows!" He excitedly said and stood still, ready for my command.

"Alright... Surfer, use Water Gun!"

"You forgot that we had a defense for that? Flame, use Light Screen!"

 _This is just the time I'm waiting for... Let's use that move before it's too late!_

"Surfer, remember the new move you learnt yesterday?" Surfer nodded and I gave my command, "Surfer, Sand Tomb now!"

Surfer immediately formed a huge amount of sand around him, and moved them towards Flame. Flame apparently didn't expect that coming, and got surrounded by the sand. The sand slowly hit it, and due to the type disadvantage, it took a lot more damage.

"Surfer, Water Pulse at full speed!" Thinking that this is our time to strike back, I commanded Surfer. Surfer quickly released the water rings on his hands, and Flannery commanded, "Flame, one last Flamethrower!"

Flame was able to release a small stream of fire before getting hit by the water rings, but the sun in the battlefield faded just at the right time, and Surfer didn't seem to take much damage due to the type resistance too. On the other hand, Flame took the Water type attack and fainted.

"Flame is unable to battle! Surfer wins!"

 _It's a two on two now..._

"Fireworks, burn the stage!" A bipedal, chicken-like Pokémon appeared in the battlefield.. Most of its upper body is yellow, while most of the lower body is orange. It has orange eyes and short, wide beak. There is a feather crest that appears smaller on top of its head with three orange points. I quickly scanned it to get the entry. [Combusken, the Young Fowl Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Torchic. It boosts its concentration by emitting harsh cries. Its kicks have outstanding destructive power.]

 _So this is the evolved form of the Hoenn fire starter... I should be careful._

"Battle begin!"

"Surfer, use Water Pulse!"

"That's not going to be enough. Fireworks, jump over the attack and use Jump Kick!"

Fireworks made a big leap over the water rings, and rush towards Surfer mid air to send its attack. Surfer took the attack and winced in pain.

 _That jump... It's outstanding! I've never seen a Pokémon jump that high before! I have to be careful..._

"Surfer, use Sand Tomb!"

"That's not gonna be enough either. Fireworks, kick through the sand and use Low Kick!"

It's not just its jumping skills that are outstanding, its kicking skills are too! It just kicked through the sand, making the sand useless, and it kicked Surfer on the leg. Surfer didn't take much damage, but Surfer was definitely starting to get tired.

 _None of the attacks worked against Fireworks! I must think of a plan... I have an idea!_

"Surfer, use Water Pulse!"

"Didn't you learn your lesson? Fireworks, you know what to do."

Fireworks made another big leap over the water rings, and proceeded to use its attack.

"Now, Surfer! Use Water Gun directly at Fireworks!"

Surfer smiled at my command, and released the water from his mouth. Fireworks saw this and tried to retrieve, but it was no use as the super effective attack hit it, taking an insane amount of damage.

That was just enough to make up with the damage taken!

"That was unexpected... You're able to counter my strategy. We won't give up yet! Head on head with Surfer using Fire Punch!" Flannery gave out her last command.

"Surfer, use Bite!" Surfer waited for the punch sent by Fireworks, and gave it a powerful bite. Both Pokémon winced in pain, and despite both Pokémon had the type resistance against the attacks, they still fainted due to all the previous damage taken.

"Both Surfer and Fireworks are unable to battle! This battle is a draw! Please send out your last Pokémon."

 _It's all up to Ziggs again... Just like last time._

Out of all the Pokémon, Ziggs seemed to have the most trouble learning new things. He seemed to be lacking in experience due to his nature, but he always said, "Hard work can fix every problem."

 _I wonder if his hard work will pay off here..._

"Let's go, Ziggs." I threw my last Pokéball for the gym battle, and Ziggs appeared in the battlefield. He seemed to be nervous, but I can see his determination on his face too. He really wanted to win this.

"Let's go, Inferno!" She threw her last Pokéball, and a tortoise-like, quadruped Pokémon appeared. It has a large black rock-like shell with holes that glow with a red warmth. I recognized it as Torkoal, as Harry owned one too. Inferno looked just as strong as Harry's Torkoal.

 _It looks enormous... I wonder if Ziggs can take it down._

"Ziggs, use Dig!"

"Inferno, counter with Body Slam!"

As Ziggs readied for the attack, Inferno was already one step ahead. It waited for Ziggs to come out from the ground, and gave him a strong slam. Ziggs got pushed back by the attack and winced in pain.

"Ziggs, are you good?"

"Yeah, but that was a strong attack..."

"Let's try something else. Ziggs, use Headbutt!"

Ziggs rushed towards Inferno to send his attack, but apparently Flannery had another way to counter it too. "Inferno, use Flamethrower!"

Ziggs was able to send his attack just in time, but he also took the hot stream of fire, but he held on, not giving up.

 _Comparing the two Pokémon's condition, Ziggs definitely is losing to Inferno. I need another plan... Oh wait, maybe this would work..._

"Ziggs..." I whispered to Ziggs about my plan, and he appeared to be shocked at first, but he quickly understood my plan and smiled.

"Ziggs, use Dig!"

"Again? I really don't get your strategies." Flannery seemed to be confused by my repeated commands. "Inferno, you know what to do."

Just as I thought, Inferno used Body Slam on Ziggs, but Ziggs tried to held on and it worked. Then, sparks emitted from Ziggs, which meant that Ziggs was paralyzed.

"Alright! Your Ziggs got paralyzed too. This will be a big advantage for us!"

 _I smirked. You shall see who has the advantage later..._

"Ziggs, use Facade!" Ziggs understood my plan and released the attack. Despite the paralysis, Ziggs somehow became faster and Inferno who had slow speed took more damage than usual.

"Oh no... Looks like you planned this all along..." Flannery realized her mistake and groaned. "Your Ziggs' ability is Quick Feet, which increases its speed when he has a status condition. Also, Facade's power doubles when it has a status condition. That's double the advantage!"

Exactly, that was my plan right there. I told Ziggs before I commanded him to use Dig, "I want you to take the Body Slam attack, so you can get paralyzed." He got what my plan was about shortly, so it all worked out in the end.

"Ziggs, use Swift!" Ziggs spun at a much higher speed, and the star rays seemed to be more powerful and hit Inferno, who had nowhere to dodge. They both appeared to be tired after the clash of attacks.

"Looks like it's about to end. I've never got into a battle that close before... Let's make this one count! Inferno, use Overheat, full power!"

"Ziggs, I know you took an Overheat attack before, and it didn't end up well, but I know you're stronger now. Fight through the pain and use Facade!"

Ziggs nodded, and rushed forward to send his last attack. He outsped Inferno and was able to attack first due to his ability. He then quickly tried his best to dodge the hot blasts of fire, and he only got hit slightly by the flames.

Inferno however, he took the attack fully and after releasing the full power attack, Inferno collapsed in exhaustion, while Ziggs barely stood up, tired but happy that he won the battle for the team.

"Inferno is unable to battle! Ziggs wins! The winner is Lows, the challenger from Kanto!"

 _That was fun, and intense at the same time. I would definitely want a battle like that in the future._

"Your passion really burns, I can see it through the battle. Not only that, the bond between you and your Pokémon... It's just like a fire that will never extinguish. You definitely deserved the Heat Badge!"

Saying that, she took a badge that looks like a small flame, and gave it to me. I happily accepted the badge, and hugged Ziggs, who was also in happiness.

"A battle this fun... The last time I had a battle like this was probably when I fiught the current champion. Thank you so much for bringing me back to the fun times!"

"You're welcome! It's fun battling you, and I'm just doing what a trainer is supposed to do."

"You definitely have a good personality as a trainer... The trainer that I fought before you, he has strong Pokémon, but he was too arrogant, to both the Pokémon and me. He is way different compared to his father..."

"Oh..." I said while thinking, _is Harry that arrogant? I wonder how his father's personality is... I guess I'll know when I battle him._

"Anyways, thank you so much. Hopefully, I'll see you again soon!" We bid farewell after exchanging Pokégear numbers, and right when I walked out of the gym, Sip was outside, waiting for me. He appeared to be excited for my win.

"Amazing battle, Lows! I can't even make a single sound when watching you two battle! I wish I can be like that too!"

"Thanks, Sip. You can be like that too if you work hard."

"Definitely! I guess since you're leaving now, I'll start my journey too. My first gym won't be this one though, I guess I'll start at the Rustboro Gym."

"Alright then. I guess I'll see you again soon?"

"We will definitely meet again. I'll work hard to be qualified for the Hoenn League!"

We walked towards the ledges, when suddenly we saw Sip's parents. They don't seemed to be sad though, instead they were excited: excited for their son's upcoming achievements.

"Mom, Dad! I will definitely come back as soon as possible."

"We know you will, son. You're always been a great son to us." They had a happy group hug, with no tears, instesd with smiles. The family is really positive towards all things.

"Mom, Dad, we'll be on our way now. Thanks for everything!"

"Goodbye!"

We jumped off the ledges, and left Lavaridge Town. We then part our ways after exchanging Pokégear numbers. Although I said goodbye to many people, I believe that it is for the next time we meet.

"Now, where should I go? I plan on going to Slateport to battle sis, but Fallarbor could be a good place to visit too..."

Apparently, a Pokégear call from someone helped me to decide.

"Hey, is that Lows?"

"Oh.. Are you Roxanne?" I replied, confused. _Why would she call me?_

"You just got the gym badge from Lavaridge, right?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"I want you to meet with me at the entrance of the desert near Lavaridge. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, I do..." I said, thinking about the terirble experience when I first stepped into it.

"I'll meet you and talk about what we're going to do later." She then ended the call, leaving me confused.

"I wonder why she wants me to meet her there? I guess I'll find out later..." I said while walking towards the meeting place, unaware of the things that were about to happen.

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Do you think Harry will change his attitude in the future?**

 **Which battle is the most interesting for you?**

 **Do you want to see Sip again?**

 **Why does Roxanne want to meet up with Lows?**


	26. Hoenn 23

**After a hot battle between Lows and Flannery, Lows barely won the battle and earned the Heat Badge. After parting ways with Sip, Roxanne called Lows and told him to go to the desert. What is the reason Roxanne told him to go there?**

 **Also, the Mirage Tower was modified by me. Ya know, the Mach Bike obstacle is a little bit boring, don't you think? Also, I put more secrets into the Mirage Tower, hope you guys will enjoy.**

 **Chapter 23 - The Secrets in Mirage Tower**

"Oh, hey Lows! So glad to see you!" Roxanne was waiting at the entrance, and once she saw me, she walked towards me with a happy expression.

"Hey, Roxanne... Why are you asking me to come here?"

"I have something to show you... At the desert! Wanna come with me?"

 _I mean, I can't really say no, can I?_

"...Sure, I guess. But the sandstorm is so outrageous! I can't even open my eyes when I was there..." I groaned.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot to give you these." She said and gave me a pair of goggles. She then wore another pair of goggles on herself.

"These are the Go-Goggles. You can walk through sandstorms without hurting your eyes! Give it a go." I listened to her and wore the goggles.

 _I must be looking extremely dumb... Hopefully it works though._

"Now, let's explore! I want to show you a cool place in the desert." She said, and eagerly ran towards the desert.

"W-wait for me!" I quickly ran towards her, scared that I might get lost in the desert.

Although I wore the goggles, it still wasn't a great experience for me. My nose wasn't completely covered, resulting in sand getting into my nose, making me sneeze. Roxanne though, she just eagerly ran around, appeared to be used to this place's conditions.

"Here we are!" Right now, in front of us was a huge tower, built with sandstone. It had a face carved at the tower, overall this tower looks unique and astonishing.

"Looks cool, right?" I nodded at the gym leader's question, and she suddenly walked off again, which made me confused. "Where are you going now?"

"Shhh... Just follow!" I rolled my eyes, and started to follow her again. After a while, I realized that we were at the end of the desert. Just when I thought it was the end, she suddenly walked back into the desert.

 _What... is she trying to do?_ I thought while still followed her, legs getting tired and cramped. One funny thing is, when we reached the place where I saw the tower, the tower disappeared, making my mind filled with questions.

"It's weird, isn't it? But that's what Mirage Tower is about. It disappears when you leave the desert, but reappears when you walk into it again! So..." She then suddenly looked at me, making me feeling uncomfortable.

"Can we walked back to the entrance and go back in again?"

 _Is she actually joking? Please tell me this is a joke..._ I grumbled, but I was forced to accept her suggestion. By the time we reached there, I was pretty sure that I was about to faint from exhaustion. The tower reappeared again though, which made me fascinated.

"Well, I don't think bringing me to see the Mirage Tower is the only reason you asked me here, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah... About that..." She appeared to have something that she wanted me to do, and she said, "I was hoping if you can explore in the tower with me."

"Huh?"

"You see, you are far stronger than me, and I heard that there are many tough obstacles and strong Pokémon in the tower. I was scared that I couldn't handle them all on my own, so... Can you help me?"

"Well, can I really say no? I'll come with you, I guess..." I decided to go with her, I was curious about what's inside the tower as well.

"Great! Thank you so much." She gratefully said, and without any hesitation, we walked into the Mirage Tower.

Everything worked out fine on the ground floor, only a few Trapinch and Sandshrew. But once we walked up to the first floor, something definitely went wrong.

Roxanne eagerly continued the exploration, walking around and looking at the carvings and pictures on the walls, suddenly, a cracking sound appeared, following by Roxanne almost falling down from the first floor. She barely made it out though by jumping to another place without a crack.

"Are you okay, Roxanne?" I concernly asked, while she quickly got out and said, "I-I'm fine, just a little bit freaked out by what just happened... Phew!" She then looked around and saw some cracks on the ground, and immediately realised, "So these are the traps for the first floor. If you step on the cracks, you will definitely take a deep fall if you don't react in time. Let's be careful."

I nodded, and we walked carefully, although Roxanne would still get carried away by the stone carvings on the floor. After a while, we finally saw the ladder that leads to the second floor.

When I was about to climb the second floor, a Pokéball shook vigorously. Inside the Pokéball was Power, who was interested to join us. "I-Is this an exploration? I love exploring!" He then timidly asked, "C-can I come with you guys if i-it doesn't bother you guys?"

"Sure, Power. Come along!" He then hop on my shoulder, a little scared but excited at the same time. We climbed up to the second floor, and saw Roxanne, who seemed to be stuck on a problem.

"Lows, you're here! There are so many boulders here... How can we get past them?"

I smiled and said, "Power, it's your time to shine!" Power was shocked when I said his name though, and he nervously asked, "W-what can I do?"

"Well, you can use Karate Chop on the boulders and make them break!"

"S-sure, Lows." Power immediately chopped the boulders into pieces, making Roxanne amazed.

"That's really good! Your Machop is a strong one." Power who was still not used to getting praised heard her praise, and shyly went behind me.

"Your Machop is a shy one though, is it a timid nature Pokémon?"

"Yeah, good guess. Another reason he still isn't used to getting praised is due his past trainer."

"What did his past trainer do?"

"Well, his past trainer..." I talked about what Harry did to Power before, without mentioning his name though. Without us noticing, just as I finished talking about Power's past, we reached the ladder and climbed up to the third floor.

As I started to walked towards the next ladder, a weird sound suddenly came from the ground. I looked down, and it was definitely something I wouldn't want to see.

A tripwire hook.

 _That means..._

I looked around without thinking twice, and just as I thought, two arrows were coming towards me and Power's direction. "Power, dodge!"

I quickly dodged the arrows, making them a miss. I then checked on Power, who seemed to be fine, but freaked out by the sudden "surprise". Roxanne realised the situation and asked, "You two okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. That was suddent though... How are there tripwire hooks too?"

I suddenly saw Roxanne took out one of the arrows from the wall and examined it. "What are you doing with the arrow?!"

"Shhh! Calm down, I'm just examining it." She then sniffed around and said, "Something's not right here. We have to go now."

"Huh? Aren't we almost at the top now?"

"No time to explain! We gotta go now before someone-" Suddenly, she was interrupted by a deep male voice.

"Looks like you finally figured it out, Leader Roxanne. But it's too late, I'm here to send you two flying!" _That person had that Team Will suit too. That means..._

"So it was you, Team Will's Poison Master! Putting poison at the tip of the arrows... Are you trying to commit murder?!" Roxanne asked with anger shown on her face.

"Huh? No, no, you're thinking this way too complicated! Don't you know I'm the Poison Master! This kind of poison won't kill them, this kind of poison is just to... have a certain purpose."

 _What... kind of purpose?_

"You see, the arrow will make them faint due to the poison on its tip. From there, we can do two things. One, take their Pokémon for ourselves. Two, make them become our slaves. That's pretty good, right? No killing!"

"How is it good?! You hurt and force innocent people to do bad things!"

"No matter, as long as the team achieve its goals, nothing bothers us at all. Since you two are here, I don't mind having a gym leader to become our slave..."

"No way! I have trainers to battle as a gym leader! I'm not going down without a fight!"

"A fight, you say?" Poison Master smirked and took a Pokéball out from his belt. "Destroy them, Seviper!"

A serpentine Pokémon appeared right in front of our eyes. It is mostly black, but has several markings on its body. It has yellow hexagon markings that run from its head to its tail, small yellow bumps where it touches the ground, and various purple scar-like marks. It has elongated red fangs that protrude from its upper jaw and fierce red eyes. Its tail is partially red and has a blade-like shape.

 _I don't think I have time to scan him though... I gotta do something fast, and the only way to solve this is to battle._

"Let's go, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball, while Roxanne also took out a Pokéball and threw it. "Go, Steel!"

Roxanne's Pokémon is a Pokémon with four short legs. Its body is dark gray, and its eyes are sky blue. Its back is covered with segmants of iron armor. There are two pronged metal bands on its legs. The upper band is gray and the lower is silver.

"Only these two Pokémon? Man, this is going to be so easy..." He then commanded, "Seviper, destroy them with-"

Suddenly, at the exact right moment, a Pokégear rang and interrupted his command. He then took out a Pokégear and said, "Yes, Boss? I'm handling two intruders."

The boss? Does he mean... Azore? And how did he even have signal here...

"...Alright then." He then ended the call, and we thought that he was going to command again, so we readied ourselves. But instead, he sneered. "Humph... You guys are lucky this time." We didn't know what he meant until he took out a Smoke Ball and threw it on the ground.

"Arghh! Roxanne, where is he?"

"I don't know! I can't see through the smoke!"

After the smoke faded, he disappeared from our sight as expected. "That was weird. He could easily beat us with his Seviper..."

"Well, I'm not going to complain about that. Since he's gone, wanna check the last floor?" Roxanne asked, and we climbed up the ladder, after checking if there's any traps, of course.

"Lasers?!" I gasped once I saw the final floor. There were lasers everywhere, making it impossible to get to the end.

"Must be Team Will's doing... I'm going to call the police. Let's get out of here."

"Hmm?! Aren't you going to keep going?"

"I'm not that brave!" Roxanne exclaimed, and we got out in just a few minutes.

* * *

"Yeah... That's what happened at the Mirage Tower... It's all fine now, but there are lasers everywhere in the last floor... Alright, thank you very much." Roxanne then ended the call, and told me what happened during her conversation with the police.

"Seems like they are going to put Mirage Tower as a place that will not allow others to go inside for a certain period."

"Alright then... Who is this Poison Master guy though?"

"Oh, this guy? Like what his nickname says, he specializes in making different kinds of poison for Team Will. He used them to do... nasty things..."

"I can see that... By the way, what is going to be in the end of the final floor?"

"I'm not sure myself... Rumors said that there will be two fossils, and they both support the tower from crumbling. Weird, Team Will will definitely take the fossils when they reached the top earlier..."

"Yeah, that was weird, perhaps the fossils are buried somewhere, and they can't find it?"

"Maybe..." Roxanne's Pokégear suddenly rang, and after she answered it, she said, "I have to go, a challenger is looking forward to have a battle with me."

"Who is it?" I thought I knew who he was, I just wanted to make sure.

"Oh, why would you want to know? Anyways, his name is Sip."

"Nothing..." I said while having a big smile.

 _Sip, you better do good on your first gyn battle! I'll support you, and I hope we can battle again._ I happily thought.

"Anyways, I had to go now, bye! Thanks for exploring and going through the troubles with me."

"You're welcome. See ya!" After Roxanne left the desert. I started to think about Team Will.

 _Team Will... I first thought that they were just a lame copy of Team Rocket. But now, I feel like they are not just a weak team... They even have a guy that specializes in poison... I'm afraid that they might do something bigger. I should be careful about the Fiery Fossil in my bag. They might be still on the hunt for it._

I continued thinking while walking to my next destination, Fallarbor Town.

* * *

"Boss, I'm back. I did everything that you commanded."

"Good. Did they go to the final floor though?"

"Yeah, I spied on them a bit near the tower. They didn't pass the lasers though."

"Good, everything is according to plan. You did well today, Poison Master. You may leave now."

"Thank you, Boss. But one thing, why don't you let me battle them. I can defeat them and take the Fiery Fossil for you!"

"Don't worry about it, Poison Master. Peggy and the grunts are already heading towards Mossdeep. Our plan needs patience."

"Alright then... Thank you, Boss." Poison Master then walked away.

The Team Will Boss, Azore smirked and sent his Crawdaunt out. "Crawdaunt, you know my plans, don't you?"

The Rogue Pokémon smiled as its response, and Azore continued, "They didn't know the true reason why I didn't make the tower fall into pieces. I alreayd found the fossils, but I'm not taking them out... yet. It's because that there's something more in the final floor...

On the walls of the final floor, there are ancient pictures that aren't just pictures about the past, but they also showed details about the legendary Pokémon. For now, I can only figure out that one of the legendary Pokémon is located in the desert.

And when I know the other legendary Pokémon's locations, victory will be mine. Muahahahaha..."

The Team Will Boss' evil laugh filled the entire room, and he was certainly ready to obtain his victory.

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer** **(Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves** **: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs** **(Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability** **: Quick Feet**

 **Moves** **: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace** **(Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability** **: Synchronize**

 **Moves** **: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody** **(Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability** **: Overgrow**

 **Moves** **: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power** **(Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability** **: Guts**

 **Moves** **: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the new additions in the Mirage Tower?**

 **Will Azore's plans make him victorious?**

 **What awaits Lows in Fallabor?**


	27. Hoenn 24

**Before this chapter starts, I just want to say that I edited some chapters, some parts of the storyline, grammar mistakes (still on the work), and just in case if you didn't know, the year of the story. If the future chapters seems to be different for you, go check back the previous chapters, and you'll know what's up. In the end, everyone shall be happy! Right? ...Right, I guess.**

 **Also, chapters won't be out for the next two weeks, due to my first exam.**

 **Anyways, enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

 **Lows and Roxanne explored the Mirage Tower, but they soon knew that the Team Will's Poison Master was in there too. But for an unknown reason, Poison Master retreated, making them safe. After that, Lows began to walk his way to Fallabor Town. What is going to happen there?**

 **Chapter 24 - Ahoy, Battle Tent Tournament!**

"Ah... Ah choo!" My sneezes never stopped when I was passing through Route 113. The volcano ash in the route was just so horrifying! Also, my nose was sensitive to dust, so that didn't help much at all...

After what seemed like forever, I finally got out of the route, exhausted and feeling sick. A Pokéball shook and I opened it, knowing that the Pokémon wanted to come out. Inside it was Grace, who was concerned at my condition.

"Lows, are you okay? You don't seem so good."

"I'm okay... It's just that my nose is sensitive to dust."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Not really... Oh, wait..." I suddenly thought of an idea that might allow me to get to the town immediately.

"Grace, can you teleport us to Fallarbor?"

"I believe I can do it if I have enough power. Let's do it." She gave me a calm smile, and started the teleportation.

Teleportation wasn't that fun though... My head apparently got a little bit dizzy, and I spun in circles... But overall, it's all good as it worked out.

"Ouch!" I fell right onto the ground when the teleportation ended, and when I looked up, right in front of me was the PokéCentre of Fallarbor Town.

 _I guess it worked... But this is definitely not how I wanted to step in here..._

"Hmm?! Is that you, Lows? Let me give you a hand." A familiar voice was heard by me, and I looked up and saw Disc, who was giving me a hand to get up.

I hurriedly took his hand and got up. I thanked him and said, "Disc, it's been a long time since we saw each other! How many badges do you have?"

"I have four badges. Anyways, that's not the reason I came here, though..."

"I have three badges... Wait, why did you come here?"

"There is going to be another tournament, held at the Battle Tent in Fallarbor. You know that I love tournaments, so I came here to participate."

"Ooh, a tournament? Let me go ahead and check it out."

"You should. It can help you out in future battles, and I can't wait to battle you again!" He said with a determined expression.

"I am excited, too. I'll see you later!" I went and healed my Pokémon at the PokéCentre, and went to the Battle Tent in Fallarbor. In there, I asked for the information about the tournament.

"The Fallarbor Battle Tent Tournament will be in two days. There are two categories: the Junior Division and the Senior Division. The trainer will choose three Pokémon to battle with the others. However, the rules will be different from the other tournaments.

Each seperate Pokémon face-off is timed for three turns. If in three turns, neither Pokémon has been knocked out, the judge makes a decision depending on three factors: Mind, Skill, and Body. The Pokémon with the most points will win the battle.

However, if your Pokémon knocks out or gets knocked out in three turns, it will all go just like a normal battle."

 _Hmm... This rule might change the battle all around in certain situations. I should keep this in mind._

Thinking that, I thanked the receptionist for explaning and took a registration form. I wrote the basic details, and participated in the Junior Division. After some thinking, I finally got a decision and wrote down the three Pokémon's names: Woody, Grace and Surfer.

After finished writing the form, I gave it to the receptionist, and happily walked out of the Battle Tent.

 _Alright, two days before I leave... I guess I should go train._

I went to the route near Fallarbor, and started training with Surfer, Woody and Grace with Ziggs and Power helping.

* * *

Woody and Ziggs were currently having a practice battle, and Woody was able to dodge the Swift attack by Ziggs with his fast pace.

Woody smiled at Ziggs' effort and unleashed a Leaf Blade attack, while Ziggs countered it with Headbutt. They all backed off from the impact, panting while exchanging smiles, knowing each other's strength.

Ziggs suddenly dug underground, about to use a Dig attack. Meanwhile, Woody formed a big boulder and threw it towards the ground, making the ground shook. Ziggs came out of the ground, but was confused due to the impact of the boulder towards underground.

Woody smirked, knowing that his strategy worked. He then quickly used Pursuit when the confused Ziggs tried to back off. Ziggs then collapsed on the ground, unable to move while the others cheered for Woody and helped Ziggs out. I gave him a Revive, a Super Potion and a Full Heal, making him fully recovered. I also gave Woody a Super Potion and praised them both for their hard works.

"Hey, t-that was a great battle... I-I had fun battling you! Y-you're a strong one." Woody said, still a little bit nervous when talking to others face to face.

"You're strong too. That was a good strategy. Let's all do better in the future." Ziggs said, acknowledging his strength.

"Anyways, you all did well! Woody, would you like to have a rest, or do you want a practice battle with Grace?"

"G-Grace?!" Woody said, shocked. He then said with a nervous and shy expression. "S-Sure... Grace, I-I'll take you down."

"Nope, because I will defeat you!" Grace on the other side looked calm amd determined to win.

"Alright, you two. Battle begin!"

Grace started off by giving Woody a Psybeam attack, which he dodged and countered with Rock Throw. However, Grace teleported away and charged the shadow blob before releasing it. Woody got hit by the attack and was slightly pushed back, but he was too soon to give up yet.

Grace rushed in close to get an accurate Psybeam attack, but Woody was the one who attacked first with a Bullet Seed attack. Grace fell onto the ground due to the impact, but Woody didn't seem to use its Pursuit attack on her. Instead, he used another Rock Throw attack on her, making me slightly confused.

This made Grace has a chance to recover though, as she got up and hit the boulder back with Psybeam, making the boulder rolled towards Woody instead. He got squashed by his own boulder and before he could recover, Grace used another Shadow Ball, making Woody unable to get up.

"Grace wins the battle! You all did well, have a rest." I said while giving them both a Super Potion after giving Woody a Revive.

However, I had some questions for Woody though. After the battle, I asked Woody curiously, "You could've used Pursuit to end the battle, but you didn't. Why didn't you do that?"

Woody was shocked that I knew his actions, and said nervously, "I-I just feel like this wasn't necessary..."

"Woody, that costed you the entire battle though, as Grace won the battle shortly after that. Always do your best in battles, no matter who the opponent is. Alright, Woody?"

"Y-Yeah... I understand. I'm sorry, Lows."

"It's alright. Now, let's go back to training."

After training for a while, we sat down and rested for a bit. Suddenly, I heard a conversation between Grace and Woody.

Grace asked, "Woody, did you let me win in the previous match? Curious, that's all..."

"N-No! W-What are you talking about?"

"You could've used your Dark type move on me, which is Pursuit, and end the battle. But instead, you used Rock Throw instead. There's no way you'll miss a chance like that..."

"Y-Yeah... I-I guess you can say that." He finally admitted it, ashamed and upset. "I-I just don't want you to feel upset if you lost.."

"Woody, you know that I won't feel upset if I lose to my friend. Besides, even if I lose, I can still learn from it and improve. But you letting me win... I just don't feel right about it."

"S-Sorry about what I-I did..."

"It's okay. The reason you did that is to make me happy, anyways. Thanks for that." Grace smiled and suddenly hugged Woody, making Woody's face turned into bright red. Woody then said, "T-That was... sudden..."

Grace realized her sudden actions and slightly blushed, but tried to stay calm and said, "I-I just wanna cheer you up. No need to feel upset about your mistake."

"Y-Yeah... Thanks for that, it really helped."

"No problem..."

Throughout their conversation, I thought, _It really seems like their bond is strong, much more stronger than the others..._

"Alright, let's continue training!" I yelled, we were all tired, but we worked together as a team and finished our training for the day.

"It's here... The tournament!" I said, looking at the well-decorated Battle Tent. Throughout the two days, my Pokémon and I trained well, but I knew that there's going to be someone who trained even harder than us.

I went ahead and registered before getting something to eat at the PokéCentre. Apparently, the PokéCentre actually offered tasty noodles and Pokémon food for us that day. My Pokémon and I happily ate the food when someone suddenly approached me.

"Hey, can I sit here, Lows?" I heard Disc's voice and I looked up. Disc was standing there, holding a tray full of food. I swallowed the noodles in my mouth and said, "Sure! Take a seat."

Disc sat down and sent out his Pokémon, and they hungrily ate the mouth-watering food. Meanwhile, he sat down and took out a pair of fork and spoons before eating the food slowly. He always has his table manners when he eats.

"Anyways, did you check on the battle list?" Disc said after swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Yeah. Apparently, you're on the top of the list, while I'm at the bottom. That means..."

"We are going to face each other only if we make it to the finals." Disc concluded, and he added, "I think we can do it. Besides, I worked hard to win you in our next battle, which might be in this tournament."

"Yeah, same here. Let's do well!"

We laughed and finished our food. After returning our Pokémon, we went back to the Battle Tent and readied ourselves. Before my battles begin, I saw many trainers in the preparation room, nervously waiting for their turns.

However, I don't really feel nervous though. For me, tournaments are just a way to gain experience, since the crowd, the trainers, the battles, everything will be a good eye-opener for me, and I would definitely learn more in every single battle.

To my surprise, the trainers were actually easier than I thought, although some of their Pokémon were not easy to defeat, and the results were forced to be decided by the judge depending on the three factors. I was lucky though, as I won most of them, and they gave me a new experience in Pokémon battles.

After the semifinals battle, which I won, I went out and saw Disc waiting there, excited. "I guess you won the battle. I can't wait to show you how much I had improved."

"I am excited too. Let's do our best!" We shook hands, and we had a brother hug before readying ourselves.

"Now, let's welcome the two finalists, Disc and Lows into the battlefield!" The crowd seemed to be bigger than the other battles, but it will be much smaller compared to the Hoenn League battles. I can just think about how crowded the arena seat will be...

"Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"

"Let's battle, Woody!" I threw Woody's Pokéball, and when he came out of his Pokéball, he was shocked by how big the crowd was. He wasn't used to big crowds, after all.

"Woody, stay calm, alright?" Woody nervously nodded, and tried to ignore the big crowd staring at us.

"Let's do this, Ghoul!" Disc threw his first Pokéball, and the familiar Sableye from before showed up again, saying, "I've been awaiting for this rematch!"

"Disc shall have the first move first. Now, let the battle... begin!" The referee announced and hence, the battle began.

"Ghoul, use Fake Out!" Ghoul immediately made his move, rushing towards Woody.

"Woody, dodge and use Rock Throw!" Woody tried to dodge the attack, and was able to succeed due to his faster speed. He then formed a boulder and pushed it towards Ghoul.

"Oh no, we won't let you do that! Ghoul, push it back with Faint Attack!" Obeying his command, the Darkness Pokémon was able to push the rock back towards Woody. Woody and I were shocked by how strong Ghoul's power was. Woody couldn't react in time and got crushed by the rock.

I commanded the Wood Gecko Pokémon who slowly got up, "It's okay, Woody, we had been through more than that! Woody, use Leaf Blade!"

Woody formed a sharp leaf and slashed Ghoul, who was still recovering from the impact of the Rock Throw. The Darkness Pokémon took a step back and looked at his opponent, acknowledging his strength.

"Both Pokémon only have one move remaining! Please command your Pokémon's last move, trainers!"

"Ghoul, one last move! Use Fury Swipes, full power!"

"We're not giving up either! Woody, counter with Pursuit!"

Woody was able to rush in first and sent his attack due to his speed advantage, but also unfortunately took five powerful scratches from Ghoul. They all got pushed back by the collision of attacks. Both Pokémon collapsed in exhaustion, which was a result that surprised both the audience and the two of us.

"Both Ghoul and Woody are unable to battle! This battle is a draw! Disc and Lows, please send out your next Pokémon." The referee announced, and I thanked Woody before returning him.

"I don't usually do these kinds of weird strategies, but let's go, Leafy!" Disc threw his second Pokéball, and the evolution of the Kanto Grass type starter appeared in the battlefield.

 _I thought he would be keeping his strongest Pokémon for the last... I wonder what his last Pokémon will be._

I thought for a few seconds before taking out my next Pokéball.

 _Let's play this safe, I guess._

"Do your best, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball, and she was definitely ready to help the team. "Lows, I shall do my best to help the team."

"Just do your best. Winning or losing, it's all good." I encouraged her before the match continued, and once I was ready, the referee announced, "The battle between Leafy and Grace begins... now!"

"Leafy, use Sleep Powder around the field!" Leafy nodded and immediately released white spores all around Grace.

"Grace, Teleport away from the spores, and use Shadow Ball!" Grace obeyed my command and teleported away from the spores using a new pattern. After the gym battle with Flannery, Grace realized that she shouldn't just teleport in the same pattern, so she worked with new patterns to fix this problem.

As she kept on teleporting, I saw Disc's eyes trying to follow her movements. He gave his command, but I can see the unsureness from his expression. "Leafy, Razor Leaf!"

Leafy tried her best and released the sharp leaves towards Grace's direction, but she easily teleported away from them. I waited for the right time and yelled, "Grace, use Psybeam before Leafy recovers!"

Grace stopped her teleportation almost immediately and shot the psychic rings towards the Kantonian Pokémon. Despite that she tried to dodge, Grace's attack was barely faster than Leafy's speed. Leafy got hit by the rings and to my surprise, she fainted faster than I thought.

"Leafy is unable to battle! Grace wins!"

"That was quicker than I thought..." Disc mumbled, while I thought the same as well.

"My attack seemed to be more powerful than my previous attacks, Lows." Grace saw my expression and explained.

"Oh, that must be a critical hit. I've never seen one before by my Pokémon! Good job, Grace." She smiled upon my compliment, while Disc took out his last Pokéball.

"Time to feel the wind, Breeze!" He threw Breeze's Pokéball, but Breeze's appearance was different from before. The Pokémon appeared to be bigger in size. His head and bill made up the majority of his body.

[Pelipper, the Water Bird Pokémon. It is the final evolved form of Wingull.

It is a flying transporter that carries small Pokémon in its beak. It bobs on the waves to rest its wings.]

 _He must be a lot more stronger now... I should be careful._

"The battle between Grace and Breeze will now begin!"

"Breeze, use Mist!" Breeze then created a mist that hid himself well, despite that he was enormous in size.

 _This makes it harder to see him... That is a good strategy. I have to remove the mist first..._

"Grace, use Psybeam towards the mist!" Grace shot the psychic rings again through the mist, and the rings pushed most of the mist away, making Breeze slightly visible.

However, Disc smirked and commanded, "That's the moment I'm waiting for! Fly high to the sky and attack!" Breeze flew high in the air and rushed towards Grace along the wind.

 _Oh no, she has to dodge it fast!_ Thinking that, I immediately gave out my command, not realizing my friend's next plan. "Grace, Teleport!"

Grace, who saw Breeze rushing towards her, teleported away just at the right time. Just when I thought that Breeze was going to have a crash landing, to my surprise, he continued flying and after finding Grace's new position, he rushed and striked Grace with full speed. Grace was unable to reduce the impact, and got pushed back due to the impact. She then continued lying on the ground, unable to move.

"Grace is unable to battle! Breeze wins!" The audience cheered loudly, and I was amazed by how strong Breeze's power was.

 _He isn't that Wingull who couldn't control himself anymore... He even knew that Grace was going to teleport away! I wonder how Surfer will do..._

I thanked Grace for her efforts before taking out my last Pokéball.

"Ride the waves, Surfer!" I threw my last Pokéball, and Surfer was excited to have the final battle, as always. "Let's wash that bird away from the waves!"

"Surfer, don't be overconfident. Breeze is much stronger now."

"Yeah, I won't. But, I'm not looking forward for a wipeout today, Lows!"

"I'm not, too." I smiled while the referee announced, "The final battle between Breeze and Surfer will now..." The referee suddenly stopped, but the excited audience continued the sentence for him, "BEGIN!"

"Breeze, use Aerial Ace!" Breeze rushed in with lightning speed as I quickly commanded, "Push him back with Water Gun!"

Surfer succeeded to hit Breeze with the Water type attack, but the Water Bird Pokémon continued going and smashed Surfer using his enormous body. Surfer got pushed back by the impact with a shocked expression, knowing that Breeze was way stronger than before.

"Breeze, Wing Attack!"

"Nope, I'm not letting you to do that! Surfer, dodge and use Water Pulse before he recovers!"

As both Pokémon heard our commands, Breeze widen his wings and rushed forward. Surfer outsped Breeze and dodged it, and shot the water rings towards his large opponent. Breeze didn't seem to take much damage due to the type resistance, though.

"Both Breeze and Surfer are down to their last move!" The referee reminded us, and we stood firm, ready for the last move.

"Last shot, Breeze! Feel the wind and Fly!" Breeze upon hearing his command flew up into the sky, ready to send out his final attack.

"Do your best! Surfer, use Bite on him when he attacks!"

Breeze rushed in at full speed, knowing that this was his final attack. Surfer stood firm, ready to take the impact and fight back. Breeze flew down and striked Surfer with full power, while Surfer fought through the pain and forcefully bit the Water Bird Pokémon. Both of them winced in pain and collapsed, but they were able to get up, still able to battle.

"Both Pokémon are still able to battle after three moves! The winner will be decided through Mind, Skill and Body!" I nervously listened to the referee as I started to tremble a bit.

"Starting of with the Mind factor! The winner of this factor is determined by how offensive the Pokémon is! Breeze wins!" Some of the audience clapped and cheered, while the others continued to focus on what the referee said.

"Next up, it's the Skill factor! The victor is chosen by how accurate the Pokémon's attacks land! Surfer wins!" All the people in the arena were eagerly waiting for the results of the true victor.

 _Maybe... there's still a chance?_

"The last factor is Body! The final victor will be determined through the condition of the Pokémon! The final victor is..." The referee just had to stop at the last moment, making everyone silenced. The tension in the arena was obviously noticable.

After the referee finally decided to announce the winner, he yelled, "The final victor is... Breeze! The winner of the Battle Tent Tournament is Disc!"

The audience cheered loudly at the results, they also politely clapped as a respect for our intense battle.

"As the winner, Disc gets a special medal and a secret Pokémon Egg that contains a mystery Pokémon!"

Disc happily received the prize, and we left the Battle Tent. On the way, I complimented him, "That was a good battle! You definitely improved a lot."

"Thanks, you did too. Although if the battle went on, I could've definitely won the battle."

"Nope, I was obviously the one with the advantage!"

"No, it was me!"

"Me..." We fought a bit for this topic, but we ended up laughing together in the end. We always seem to fight about these small things, but we always settled the arguments with a nice laugh.

"Anyways, what Pokémon do you think contains in the Egg?"

"No idea! I'm curious about it, though. Be sure to tell me that the next time we meet!" Disc nodded, counting that as a promise.

* * *

After walking out of the Battle Tent and healing our Pokémon, we decided to visit Meteor Falls before bidding farewell again. However, when we reached the entrance of the tunnel, something wasn't right.

"Hey, did you hear screaming from inside?" I asked Disc, and he nodded. "Yeah, I wonder what's going on?"

"Well, only one way to find out!" We all walked into Meteor Falls, ready to face the troubles ahead of us.

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability** **: Torrent**

 **Moves:** **Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs** **(Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability** **: Quick Feet**

 **Moves** **: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace** **(Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability** **: Synchronize**

 **Moves** **: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody** **(Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability** **: Overgrow**

 **Moves** **: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power** **(Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability** **: Guts**

 **Moves** **: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What do you think of Woody's actions towards Grace?**

 **Who do you think is the MVP of the battle?**

 **What do you think is going to happen in Meteor Falls? (Hint: Something related to new evolutionary in this story ;) I leaked too much, didn't I?)**


	28. Hoenn 25

**Well, I guessed I lied at some point, didn't I? :P Exams are too boring, so here I am with another chapter xD Hope you guys understand and enjoy the chapter :D**

* * *

 **Lows participated in the Battle Tent Tournament in Fallarbor with his friend, Disc. They met each other in the finals, and after a close match, the final winner, who was decided by the three factors, was Disc. After that, they went to visit Meteor Falls, but they knew that something was wrong when they heard screaming from the cave. What awaits them and what was the cause of the screaming?**

 **Chapter 25 - The Reunion**

Disc and I walked into the cave, and it was indeed a beautiful scenery. However, we couldn't enjoy the scenery that much as we continued to hear the screaming and the loud noise of the waterfall. After running past through the waterfall, we immediately found the person who was screaming, and we were shocked to know who it was.

"Cassie?!" We saw Cassie appearing to be having a fight with a man for a bag. We then realized she was trying to take back her backpack from a Team Will Grunt.

"What is a Team Will Grunt doing here?" I asked Disc, but then I realized that Disc might not know about Team Will.

However, it seemed like I was wrong about it as Disc replied without a question, "I'm not too sure. But I don't think that's the case right now. We gotta help Cassie!"

I nodded, and we rushed towards them and tried to control the situation. Meanwhile, I tried to ask the reason why Cassie was so desperate for her backpack. "Cassie, what's going on? Why are you wanting your backpack back so badly?"

"I'll tell you that later! For now, help me to take it back!" Without any choice, we were forced to get involved in the action, and after a few minutes, we managed to pull the bag back to our side. Meanwhile, the grunt tiredly stood up, panting.

"Y-you kids! W-Why do kids a-always get involved with my j-jobs?!" He said while gasping for air, "G-Great, now I have to r-run!" He then started running away while panting badly.

We awkwardly watched the grunt disappearing from our sight. After the incident was over, I broke the silence between us three. "That... escalated quickly..."

"Yeah, it sure did. But I got it all on cover! I defeated him in a Pokémon battle, so he tried to use force to take my backpack, but you guys came for the save. Thanks, you two!" She gratefully smiled at us while looking at her backpack, that appeared to be a bit torn out after the pulling, but she seemed to be fine with the condition.

"Anyways, what's with you, trying to take your backpack back like a madgirl?" Disc said, teasing our good friend.

"I-I didn't act like a madgirl, d-did I?" Cassie said, blushing. "Inside it contains one of the most important things ever!" She said, while taking out a stone that looked like an eye that kept on glinting, sparkling. There seemed to be a mysterious aura tingling my finger, but it felt good. We looked at the stone, amazed.

"W-What is this stone?" Disc exclaimed, "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Well, it seems like you're missing out, Disc!" Cassie said, pride on her face as she continued, "This is one of the most recent evolutionary stones revealed, it's called the Dawn Stone! I found it here, and the grunt tried to steal it."

 _Dawn Stone... That sounds familiar. Oh wait, it's the stone used to evolve a male Kirlia into Gallade! I wonder what is Cassie going to do with it..._

"Dawn Stone... The new evolutionary stone that is used to evolve male Kirlia, Roselia, and female Snorunt..." I mumbled, not intending for anyone to hear me. Cassie heard my mumbling though, and she said, "Lows, it seems like you know what I'm going to do with it! Let me introduce my final member... Icy!" She then opened one of her Pokéballs from her belt, sending out Icy.

Icy was a small, black Pokémon with an ovoid body. It had circular, light blue eyes, wide teeth, and spherical hands and feet that lack digits. It was covered with a yellow cloak that gave it a triangular outline. The coat was rimmed with an orange stripe and had three orange diamond markings on the back.

[Snorunt, the Snow Hat Pokémon. They tend to move about in groups of around five Snorunt. In snowy regions, it is said that when they are seen late at night, snowfall will arrive by morning.]

"A Snorunt?" Disc asked curiously, "How did you get one of these? I heard that they are very rare to catch!"

"Well... I didn't exactly caught it..." She sheepishly rubbed her head and said, "I came across an old man who fell down, and his stuff scattered everywhere on the ground. I helped him out, and he gave me a female Snorunt as a way of thanking me."

"Wow, how lucky..." I exclaimed.

"It sure is! Now, I can finally evolve Icy! However, I'll wait until she really wants to evolve. She's still wanting to learn stronger moves!" Cassie said, excited.

"Well, I'm just glad that we're all together again." I said, joyful for the reunion.

"Yeah, same here." Disc chuckled, Cassie too. We decided to explore around Meteor Falls a bit, and the place was really awesome. Shining crystals were around the cave, and we also knew that this is the place where Dawn Stone was discovered, by Steven Stone. I wasn't surprised by the fact, due to me already knowing earlier from Wally.

"That was fun!" Cassie exclaimed, tired but happy. We spent hours looking around Meteor Falls. It turned out to be bigger than we thought, so it took longer than we expected.

"Yeah, and tiring..." Disc added, exhausted. He's not usually the type who goes exploring that much. Instead of exploring in places, he would rather just have battles or play discs in his house. At least that was what he did when he was young...

"Well, are you going to leave now, Cassie?" I said, sad that we were parting ways again.

"Yeah, I will miss you guys, but I can't wait to battle Norman! I just got my fifth badge, so he shall accept my challenge now! Yippee!" Cassie said, jumping in happiness.

"Five badges?! Wow, even a girl is better than us..." Disc mumbled, but unfortunately was heard by Cassie.

"What did you just say?!" Cassie asked, messing around with Disc while Disc took it seriously and begged for Cassie to forgive him. "Sorry! I was just joking..."

After a while, Cassie finally stopped messing around with him and said, "I was just kidding! Anyways, I'll be going off now. Bye!" She said, then ran away while we waved our hands and said goodbye.

"That was a short reunion, but I'm glad we met again." I agreed with Disc's words, while we continued our way. Disc was going to battle the Dewford Gym Leader, Brawly. Meanwhile, I had to part ways with him shortly after, as I was about to battle my sister in Slateport, while he was going to Dewford by taking a ship in Slateport.

"So, I assumed that you're going to battle your sister next?" Disc asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'm ready for it. Anyways, is my sister strong?"

"She definitely is... I barely took out her last Pokémon. Her last Pokémon is indeed strong."

"Hmm? What is her last Pokémon?" I felt like I knew what it was, but I just couldn't remember that time.

"It's... Oh wait, maybe you should find that out on your own." He smirked, making me even more confused.

 _I wonder what it is... I felt like I've seen it before, and it's her strongest Pokémon..._

"Fine then, it makes it more interesting anyways." We smiled as we continued to walk past Rusturf Tunnel. By the time we reached Verdanturf, we're already exhausted from all the walking. We decided to spend a night in Verdanturf. While we walked around the town, we saw the Battle Hall, and talked about the first match we had.

"You still remember? I've defeated you when we participated in the tournament!"

"Yeah, but only slightly..." Disc said, grumbling.

"Oh yeah? I remember Ziggs took out your big Wailmer, Waves!"

"I... I was letting you win!"

"Oh really? I don't think so!" We then laughed together of the hilarious conversation.

"But seriously," Disc suddenly changed into a stern look, "thanks for the first battle we had, Lows. It really made me learn a lot, and improve even more."

"Well, yeah. You definitely improved a lot! You even defeated me in our second battle. Good job!"

"Thanks." Disc politely smiled. Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard by both of us. We only thought about one thing that can create this sound.

"Could it be... the egg?" I asked, and Disc immediately checked the egg inside his backpack. Just as we thought, the egg was cracking, and a beam of light appeared as the egg hatched.

Inside it was a small, chick Pokémon with stubby, downy, yellow wings. Its body was covered with orange feathers. There was an orange and yellow crest on its head that resembles a flame. Its two thin legs and short beak of were a light brownish yellow, and the feet had three toes in front and one in the back. It had a small black speck on its rear.

[Torchic, the Chick Pokémon. It has a flame sac inside its belly that perpetually burns. It feels warm if it is hugged.]

 _It's... the fire starter in Hoenn!_

"I... can't believe it! This is great!" Disc exclaimed, shocked and excited at the same time.

"Congratulations, bro!" I said, happy for him.

"Thanks!" Disc smiled in happiness. That evening, a new Pokémon was welcomed to Disc's team, and I knew that it was going to do great, right from the start...

* * *

The next morning, I woke up after a deep slumber. I then walked out the room to find Disc. To my surprise, when I went to his room, he wasn't there anymore.

"I guess he left already..." I said, slightly upset. He told me that he was going to leave early, but I didn't expect him to go that early...

I suddenly found a letter at the table. Slightly confused, I opened the letter and inside it was written,

 **Dear Lows,**

 **If you are reading this now, I'm probably at Slateport already, taking a ship to Dewford. I believe I'm ready for my upcoming challenges. Sorry for leaving that early, but I have my reasons, you definitely know that.**

 **Also, the male Torchic that hatched yesterday, I decided to let him join my team, and I named him Starlight. It might seems weird for his species, but think about it, he's a new life, waiting for his time to shine, just like a star. Don't you think so?**

 **Anyways, I'm going to leave now. I believe we will definitely meet again, the next time, I'm going to continue winning! You better do your best too.** **Thanks for the reunion, Lows.**

 **Your friend,**

 **Disc.**

"Hmm... At least he left a letter for me. Haha!" I laughed, keeping the promise in my heart. I then packed my things and sent out my Pokémon.

"Well, you guys know what should we do? It's time for us to go, too. Let's achieve our biggest dreams, guys!"

They seemed to understand me, and we smiled in determination. We ran out of the PokéCentre, with our hopes and dreams being the shining light inside our hearts...

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability** **: Torrent**

 **Moves** **: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs** **(Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability** **: Quick Feet**

 **Moves** **: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace** **(Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability** **: Synchronize**

 **Moves** **: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody** **(Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability** **: Overgrow**

 **Moves** **: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power** **(Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability** **: Guts**

 **Moves** **: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions** **of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the short reunion?**

 **How do you think of Disc's new addition in his team?**

 **When do you think they will see each other again?**


	29. Hoenn 26

**At Meteor Falls, Lows and Disc reunited with Cassie, but only for a short while. Disc's Egg also hatched and it turned out to be a Torchic, who Disc named him Starlight. After that, Disc left early too for a ship to Dewford. What will Lows do in Slateport?**

 **Chapter 26 - Back in the Old Days**

After quite a while of walking, we were finally able to reach Mauville again. Exhausted and tired, I quickly went to the PokéCentre to get some rest and heal my Pokémon. I met Wattson at the PokéCentre again, who was looking around his city to ensure everything was okay.

"Hey, Wattson!" I politely greeted and caught his attention.

"Lows, welcome back! You don't look so peppy right now. You'll need a rest before moving on! Hahaha!" He teased, while I became slightly embarassed, but I quickly recovered from that. We then talked for a while about casual stuff.

"So Lows, how's your sis- I mean, Charmaine doing?"

"Yeah, she's doing just fine, working on her gym non-stop. In fact, I'm going to Slateport later to battle her."

"Cool, cool! I hope you have fun battling your sister! Haha!"

"But I have one thing to request from you, Wattson." I turned into a stern look and said, "Can you please help me keep the secret that Charmaine is my sister?"

Although confused, Wattson still promised, "I know you have your reasons eventually. Alright, I'll keep this as a secret for you."

"Thanks, Wattson." I thanked him as I slowly got up, "I think I have rested enough. I'm going to keep going."

"Alright then, Lows. But why don't you check out a great place in town?"

"What is it?"

"Rydel's Cycles! The owner there sells brand new bicycles, and sometimes offers free bicycles for trainers. Why don't you pay a visit?" He then told me the directions to Rydel's Cycles.

"Sounds good to me! I'll go check that out. Thanks, Wattson."

"No problem! Hopefully I'll meet you again! Hahaha!"

I then followed the directions given by Wattson, and found the shop. It looked like it had just been renovated, with brand new bicycles placed outside the shop. I opened the door and an officer in there noticed me almost immediately.

"Welcome to Rydel's Cycles! In here, brand new bicycles are here just for you! I'm Rydel, the owner of this shop! Glad to meet you."

"Hey, Rydel. I'm Lows, and Wattson told me this would be a good place to come to."

"Oh, Wattson told you this place? Man, Wattson is such a great guy..." He then offered me a seat, and started talking about Wattson.

"Wattson is one of the best guys in this world! When I first came here from Kanto, I knew nothing and not many people recognized this shop. Wattson noticed my situation, and started promoting my shop for me to gain customers. Till now, he still does that quite often. He checks out my shop sometimes too, to see how's it going."

"Oh, you're from Kanto, too? My home is located at Kanto, but I participated in the Hoenn League."

"You must be having quite a journey on your own!" He then stood up and offered, "I'm in quite a good mood today. Why don't I give you a bike to make your travelling easier?"

 _I can't believe it... He actually offered me a bike!_

I asked, "That's nice of you! But won't you lose profit by doing that?"

He sheepishly rubbed his head and said, "It's nothing. I help trainers by doing that, and also... the bike helps to advertise about my shop. I hope you're okay with it..."

"Oh, it's okay! I would love to make your shop gain more recognition." He smiled in relief, and took a bike from the store.

"This is the perfect bike for you! Not only that you can easily control the speed lf the bike, it is foldable for you to put it into your backpack during your travels!"

"Cool product!" I said as Rydel handed my the folded product, which I happily accepted.

"The best place to test this bike is at Cycling Road, located just near Mauville! You should try it out."

I accepted his suggestion and said, "Thanks, Rydel! I'll be off now."

"No problem!" I walked out of the shop and searched for Cycling Road. After a while, I finally found Cycling Road, which was just a stone's throw away from Mauville. I nervously gulped while taking out my bike. I hesitated a bit before getting on the bike. Did I mention that I was not good with the bike? I tried it once, and it certainly didn't go well. Let me tell you the story...

* * *

Four years ago, I was just six, happily playing around in the kindergarten with my friends as usual. Suddenly, something on the field caught our attention.

The richest boy in class was showing off his brand new bike, while we were getting envious. I shyly requested, "H-hey, if you don't m-mind, c-can I-"

"You want to ride my bike? No way!" He sneered, "Besides, do you even know hoe to ride a bike?!"

I knew that I'd never rode a bike, before, but I was too angry to realize the fact that time. "O-Of course I do!"

"Alright then, try riding it! You better not fall!" He teased.

 _A bike can't be that hard to ride... Right?_

Apparently, I was wrong.

Dead wrong.

As I got on the bike, I was already having trouble controlling my balance. I tried my best to keep my balance and started pedalling. Unfortunately, I immediately had a hard time keeping my balance, and not surprising, I fell off the bicycle, and I yelled in pain.

The children around me all laughed at me despite my injured condition, and I just buried my face into the ground in embarassment, and tried to hold the pain. I wished I'd never ride the bike that time...

* * *

Back to when I was in Cycling Road, I tried my best to stay calm before riding my bike.

You're much better than before now! Just keep on practicing, and you'll get it eventually, Lows!

After some self-encouragement, I took the bike to Cycling Road, and got on the bike. I tried to be smart by maintaining my balance first, and started pedalling when I was fully ready.

As expected, I was struggling to maintain balance as I pedalled, but I tried my best to prevent myself from falling off. After struggling for a while, I managed to get the hang out of it, and I rode the bike slowly but steadily. I felt the cool wind blowing against me as I rode through Cycling Road. I tried to not crash into others bikers though, so that the embarassment before won't happen again.

 _I wonder what will happen now if I was able to handle a bike like this in the past..._

After a while of cycling, I reached the end of the road. I carefully folded my bike as I walked out of the place. I quickly went to Slateport even though I knew that the famous Trick Master's House was located not far from there.

 _Another time, I guess. Another time._

I thought while I slowly walked to Slateport, enjoying the view as I reached Slateport in just a few minutes.

The place was crowded! Many people were having conversations with each other, and there seemed to be a market according to what I saw. The loud noises from the market were easily heard by me.

"Lows... Lows!" I thought I heard my name through the noise. I tried to find the source of direction, and found a familiar trainer and friend:

Regis.

"Lows, is that you?" He asked excitedly without any arrogance in his voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Nice to see you again!" I shook hands with him, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just relaxing here after defeating the gym leader here! It really took me a few tries to defeat her, she was way too strong. Rumors said that she has a younger brother who is a trainer too. Do you know who he is?"

"I... don't really know anything. Haha!" I said, my smile getting wider.

"...I guess that's reasonable. Anyways, you want to visit the Slateport Market? It sells a lot of goodies in there?"

"Nah, not today. I'm not used to crowded places, anyway." That was actually the truth. I just feel uncomfortable in these places with too much noise.

"I wanna go to the beachside though. Wanna come along?" Regis accepted my offer, and we walked towards the beachside. I closed my eyes while I enjoyed the sea breeze blowing against me.

 _This is just like... Back in the old days._

"Do you enjoy the sea a lot?" Regis asked with curiousity.

"Yeah, when I was in Kanto, I travelled in Vermillion City a lot, and we did all sorts of activities in the sea. Swimming, fishing, or just enjoy the sea breeze, just like what I'm doing right now. It's just so pleasant for me."

"You must be getting homesick, Lows." Regis said.

"Yeah, a bit anyway. I keep in touch with my family a lot, though." I said, missing my parents.

"Ya know, missing someone is just a feeling inside your heart. But eventually, you'll just have to push through the feeling and continue doing what you're doing now."

"I understand, and I'll try doing that. Thanks, Regis."

"No problem." After enjoying the sea breeze for quite a while, Regis suggested, "Why don't we check out the market now?"

The noise and the amount of people there seemed to have reduced, so I happily accepted his suggestion, "Sure! Let's go."

We happily walked towards the market, and we spent most of the time buying stuff for ourselves and our Pokémon.

 **I know this chapter is short, I'm sorry! :( I pretty much screwed up Science for my exams, and got 27th in my class, which my parents weren't satisfied of. Anyways, side chapter will be released on the next day! Thanks for reading and have a good day!**

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Low Kick**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Since when did you guys learn how to ride a bike? (I learnt it when I was eight, but it didn't go well at the start :P)**

 **When will Lows visit the Trick Master's House?**


	30. Hoenn SC1

**This is a chapter I've been planning for quite a few days... This side chapter will be in first person view, but it's not Lows. Whoever it is? Well... It still remains a mystery... for now. Enjoy!**

 **Side Chapter 1 - Trapped**

I was just a normal person, a normal man. However, for no proper reason, I was locked into this dirty, dark room that looked exactly like a room for prisoners. I mean, I was technically a prisoner, wasn't I?

I struggled to survive in this place, with barely any food given by them, and besides working and working nonstop for them, there was nothing else I could do. Life here just seemed black and white for me.

That day was another boring day... At least that was what I thought. It started off as usual, with the people calling me for a crappy breakfast, and after the breakfast, things started to get interesting.

I thought I was going to go back to my room, but someone called me, "Hey you!" I turned to the direction, and it turned out to be the Team Will Boss.

"W-What is it?" I stuttered, not knowing what he could do to me.

"Oh, nothing. Why don't you come with me?" He smirked as the grunts took me to his office. I was forced to sit down, nervous and afraid.

"W-What do you want from me now?!" I couldn't help but shouted, scared.

"Don't worry, my friend." I was about to argue about him saying that I was his friend, but he didn't give me a chance and continued. "From now on, you'll be in a better room, with computers and such. You still can't escape, but the computers are for a purpose."

I was about to cheer due to having a better living place, but I was confused of the sudden treatment. He seemed to notice my expression changes and explained, "Yes, you need to do something in return for this treatment.

I need you to work with Team Will with this new project we're planning. This will help us change the world with success!" He evilly laughed, and turned to me and glared at me. "Will you help us?"

 _This isn't good... I can't do anything to reject him, I'll be back into my dirty room, or maybe... Team Will will kill me if I reject this! But helping Team Will... It isn't the right thing to do? My current situation is nuts... I'll have to help the team. I have to._

After I thought about it, I was forced to say, "Fine, I'll help you. Any information about the project?"

"Good, you accepted it." He evilly smirked and said, "You shall start working with us tomorrow. You're smart with these kinds of stuff, so this project should be no matter for you. In fact, you might overcome to problems with ease. I'll see you tomorrow at your new room."

I left the office, and followed the grunts to my new room. It was certainly amazing. There were two to three computers, allowing me to do almost anything except for communicating. There was a small television for me, and a comfy bed, and a tray full of snacks! This work must had been super important! This new room was so much better than my old dark room!

I happily slept on my new comfy bed for the night, not knowing the work I'll be having tomorrow.

* * *

I woke up, and I went ahead and took a good shower. _How long had I not took a proper shower?_

After getting ready, the boss was outside of my room, ready for his instructions. "Looks like you're having a good time here. Anyways, I'm here to give your work. It's not too hard, as I said. You'll just have to follow what the document said in the first computer over there," He pointed at the computer, "and you'll use your intelligence to solve the problems. Got it?" I nodded, and he left in satisfaction.

I turned on the computer, and the document appeared right in front of the screen. I opened the document and read the title. But, the title itself really shocked me. I fell onto the floor, speechless.

"I-It was the project I'd been working on before I was caught... Now they're using my project to do..." I said, upset and horrified of the consequences if I managed to finish the project. What will they do with the project just terrified me when I thought about it.

I slowly got back up, still trembling in fear as I looked at the title again:

 **Project B: The Power of Fiery Fossil - Mega Evolution**

It came back.

To haunt me again.


	31. Hoenn 27

**How many times had I procrastinated like this? I'm terribly sorry. I'm currently on a downside of motivation, but hopefully I'll be able to recover. Anyways, enjoy this chapter ;)**

* * *

 **Last chapter, Lows received a new bike from Rydel's Cycles, and managed to master it at Cycling Road. At Slateport, Lows reunited with Regis, who just barely defeated Lows' sister, Charmaine. Now, Lows is going to battle his sister on his own. How will the sibling battle turn out?**

 **Chapter 27 - The Showdown Between Siblings!**

It was another day... for another gym battle. Normally I wouldn't be that nervous, but this time, my hands were shaking ever since that morning, I didn't even know why was I shaking so much. Was it because I was going to battle my sister? Was it because I waited for this day for... so long? Was it because... I can finally prove my skills to my sister?

Till now, I'm still unsure.

But there's one thing that I was sure of:

 _This battle is unavoidable. I must do my best, whoever the opponent is!_ Thinking about that, I tried to do something else to calm my mind down, but the nervousness just couldn't be removed.

"What's wrong, Lows?" My starter, Surfer noticed my shaky hands, and knew that something wasn't right about me.

"N-Nothing... I'm just being way too nervous. I don't even know why."

"Hey, even though I'm not going to be at your side in the battle, the others will definitely be the best surfing boards ever! Soon, you'll be on the waves with no sweat!"

"I'll do my best, Surfer. Thanks." I started to feel relieved as Surfer gave me a joyful smile. I wished I could be like him sometimes: Always jolly and able to play around easily...

"Oh wait, I remember now! This can be the best solution to know what Pokémon my sister has!" I said, immediately thinking about the application in my Pokégear. That application was given by Wally, and he said that I can use it to check my contacts' Pokémon team.

 _Is this the time... I should be using it?_

"What do you think I should do, Surfer? Should I check it or not?"

"Well, it depends on your heart, Lows! But I personally think that, if you checked it, you'll be able to use that information to surf like a pro! But that will be really disrespectful to your sister."

I listened to what he said and thought, _he's right... My sister is the best person ever! I can't do anything disrespectful to her. But, I need this win, though..._

I gulped, while I slowly made my decision.

* * *

After making my decision, it was almost time to battle my sister, Charmaine. I gulped as I reached the entrance, unsure whether my decision was right or not.

 _There's no turning back now. I did that decision, and I'll take the risk._

I reassured as I comforted myself, while the door opened and my sister appeared.

"Hello there, little bro! I can't wait to see how strong my brother has become."

"I can't wait as well, sis!" I said, while checking if anyone was around. I didn't want anyone to know that we're siblings.

"Let's go in, shall we?" I nodded and was about to walk in, only to noticed someone was shouting at me while gasping for air, "L-Lows, w-wait!"

Regis was running towards me, exhausted. He then stopped in front of me and breathed deeply, tired from the running. He then gave me a smile, "Let me see how much you improved! I can support you as well."

"I would like that! Thanks, Regis!" I chuckled, and the three of us walked into the gym.

The gym was filled with aroma of nature. There were small tress growing in the gym, and even some small Grass types were living there. The arena was a field arena, filled with mostly short grass, and some tall grass.

We both stood still while waiting for the referee to state the rules. Regis was at the arena, focused on the referee.

"So, this battle will be a three on three single battles. and the challenger is able to switch his Pokémon and have the first move. The winner is decided when the opponent's three Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you understand and agree the rules, Lows from Kanto?"

I nodded firmly, knowing it's time to take the battle for the fourth badge. Once the two of us were ready, the referee shouted, "The battle between Charmaine and Lows will now begin! Challenger, choose your first Pokémon!

I nodded firmly as I took my first Pokéball, ready to battle.

"Let's go, Ziggs!" I shouted as Ziggs came out of the Pokéball, ready to start the showdown.

"Show them who you are, Sunshine!" Saying that, her first Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, but it was not anything I'd ever seen in Kanto or Hoenn before. I didn't take the time to scan the Pokémon though, as I knew that it was time to think about the battle first.

"The battle between Ziggs and Sunshine will now... begin!"

"Ziggs, do a full speed approach with Headbutt!" Just when Ziggs dashed towards the Grass type, my sister thought this through long ago. "Sunshine, hide yourself in the tall grass!"

Out of a sudden, Sunshine disappeared from our sight, making us slightly confused. We were wondering where it was until my sister commanded, "Sunshine, use Razor Leaf!"

Out of nowhere, sharp blades of leaves hit the Rushing Pokémon. Ziggs hurriedly tried to search for Sunshine, but she was hidden somewhere else again.

 _This field is a big advantage to sis... But I think I have a way to solve this problem._

"Ziggs, cut the tall grass with Swift, then use Dig!" Ziggs obeyed my command and managed to slice the grass with the stars and dug underground, desperate to find where Sunshine was. After he managed to spot her, he appeared back to the field, attacking the sunflower-like Pokémon.

"Not bad! Time to be serious now. Sunshine, full power Bullet Seed!" Sunshine took a deep breath and shot the green seeds towards Ziggs, and Ziggs failed to dodge some of them and took some damage.

 _Ziggs is definitely losing... I must find a way..._

"Sunshine, another Bullet Seed, please!" As Sunshine readied herself to unleash another attack, I got a new plan.

"Ziggs, dodge in a zigzag pattern, and rush her with a Facade attack!" Due to the training before, Ziggs was able to master the dodging pattern and gave a strong Facade attack towards Sunshine.

 _Facade always works..._

Sunshine was forced back due to the impact, and she started to pant, signaling that she was starting to get tired. "Your Linoone is way better than any other ones! Time to do the final strategy. Sunshine, Sunny Day!"

Sunshine nodded as she summoned a scorching sun towards the battlefield, making me confused.

 _Sunny Day boosts the power of Fire type moves... This doesn't make any sense, but Ziggs doesn't have any Fire type moves as well. What is she doing?_

That didn't take me long to guess it though, as my sister gave the last command to Sunshine, "Sunshine, unleash your final power! Solarbeam!"

 _Oh no... Sunshine knows Solarbeam!_

"Ziggs, final Swift attack, and fight through the pain!" Ziggs nodded and shot the star rays with all of his energy, ready for the worst. Sunshine didn't waste any time as well, and she managed to absorb enough sunlight, and unleashed the strong beam towards Ziggs. Without any doubt, Ziggs took the full power of the attack while the star rays exploded at Sunshine. Both Pokémon's energy were worn out, and they both collapsed on the ground.

"Both Ziggs and Sunshine are unable to battle! This battle is a draw!"

I worriedly ran to Ziggs and thanked him, "Thanks, Ziggs. You did well."

"T-Thanks... That a-attack was more powerful than I thought, t-though..." He said as he winced in pain.

"Take a short rest. The other two will do the rest." I said as I returned him back to his Pokéball.

"I've been enjoying this battle so far! I'm sure you're familiar with the next Pokémon. This... is my old friend. Let's go, Flora!"

An enormous Pokémon appeared in the battlefield, and once I saw who it was, I stunned.

 _I meet her again... The Pokémon who used to play with me... She grew so much..._

I thought, thinking of the memories of me playing with her when she was still an Ivysaur. That was when sis just came back from her Hoenn journey, and she offered Flora to play with me when she's not around.

But what I saw was a huge Venusaur, ready to battle. But as she saw me, she recognized me and bowed politely and said, "It's been a long time, Lows."

"Indeed, a long time..." I replied as I became lost in thought. I would continued to think of the old memories if the referee didn't remind me, "Challenger, it's time to send out your second Pokémon!"

"A-Alright. S-Sorry about that." I said, needing some support as I saw Regis looking at me, concerned. I gave him a thumbs up, signaling that I was fine as I took my second Pokéball.

"Let's shine, Grace!" The Emotion Pokémon appeared as the Pokéball opened, and said, "I shall do my best for you, Lows."

"Thanks." Not trying to waste any time, I quickly commanded after the referee announced about the second battle beginning, "Grace, a quick Psybeam!" Grace shot some not fully charged, but fast speed psychic rings towards the Venusaur. I thought Flora wouldn't be able to dodge them, but I was wrong as she barely dodged them.

 _Flora has a lot of experience in battling... I must find a way._

"Flora, let's start off with the basic Razor Leaf!" Grace was ready for the sharp leaves, and managed to dodge them gracefully.

"Your Kirlia has decent speed. But can she defeat Flora with her skills?"

"Of course she will! Grace, it's time for Shadow Ball!" Grace shot the shadow blob towards Flora, but Flora remaines unfazed as she easily dodged the attack, unharmed.

 _She really knows how to dodge attacks! I wonder what can I do..._

"Dodging practice completed, time to attack! It's time for Sludge Bomb!" Flora nodded as she shot the sludge ball towards Grace.

"Grace, now it's the time! Teleport near Flora and use Psybeam!" Grace managed to teleport away from the sludge just in time, and even got the timing right to shot the rings when Flora was stil recovering. She got pushed back, taking a massive amount of damage.

"Smart strat, Lows. But we'll be able to recover from this! Giga Drain!" Flora recovered as she sapped a decent amount of energy from Grace. Grace was starting to feel tired, and Flora was expressionless, and I couldn't tell whether she was tired or not.

 _Wait... There's that one move that sis hasn't used yet! Flora used to show me this trick. That was when she just learnt that move..._

"Grace, Teleport to a huge layer of grass! You'll know why later!" Although confused, she still did as what I told.

"Looks like you know my last resort. Although Flora looks expressionless, she's actually quite tired. Flora, Earthquake!"

"Earthquake?! She never used that move to my Pokémon!" Regis shouted, shocked that Flora can learn such a move, while I got ready for Grace's next attack.

The ground shook tremendously as I remained prepared for the next move. The grass prevented Grace from taking much damage. After the ground stopped shaking, I knew that it was time as Flora was slightly panting.

"Grace, Psybeam now!" She was ready for it, as she quickly shot the psychic rings at full power, and successfully hit the Grass type who was still recovering. Flora took a step back, and remained still, although her tired expression was clearly shown on her face.

"Oh no... I shouldn't let Flora use this move after a long time... Oh well, not turning back! Razor Leaf!"

"Grace, it's time to win! Shadow Ball!"

The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks almost the exact same time. However, Flora's attack seemed to be slower, as Grace was able to dodge the leaves easily after releasing the psychic rings. I assumed that Flora was worn out, as she was unable to dodge the attack in time. She finally collapsed, which I felt bad. She was still my buddy, after all.

"Flora was unable to battle! Grace wins!" The referee announced while my sister remained confident. That's my sister: she never gives up till the end.

"Secret weapon time! Fight through all the obstacles, Puncher!" She then threw her last Pokéball, and the Pokémon that appeared was recognizable: It is the evolved form of Shroomish, Breloom.

 _It should be fine. It's a Fighting type, and it's weak to Psychic types._

"The battle between Grace and Puncher will now begin!"

"Grace, use Psybeam!" The rings was shot towards the Breloom, but Breloom just dashed through the grass, dodging every single Psybeam attack. It's movements were similar to Flannery's Combusken.

"You know what? Let's end this fast! Puncher, do the Fling and Iron Tail combination!" To my surprise, a heavy object was launched with the power of its tail, and it hit my Psychic type Pokémon. While Grace tried to recover from the attack, Puncher's tail glowed silver as he rushed towards Grace and slammed her with his tail. Grace was unable to hold it and fainted, while I was shocked by how fast it went.

"Grace is unable to battle! Puncher wins!" As I thanked Grace for her hard work, Puncher said with a deep masculine voice, "It's time to prove my skills as a Fighting type!"

 _This is tougher than I thought..._

I was down to my last Pokéball.

 _I wonder if he will be confident enough to do this... He can do this. I must give him confidence as a trainer._ Thinking that, I firmly took out my last Pokéball and threw it with all my strength.

"Overcome your problems, Power!" I said as Power appeared in the battlefield, shocked by the much larger-sized Pokémon as he trembled.

"Calm down, Power. You got this." I comforted.

"Y-Yeah, I'll do my best, L-Lows." He tried to calm down, but it wasn't really working.

The referee didn't care though, as he continued, "The final battle between Power and Puncher will now begin!"

"Power, use Low Kick!" I said, thinking that it was worth a try.

"Too easy. Puncher, use Seed Bomb!" Puncher nodded as he dodged the attack and launched a barrage of seeds towards Power. Power wasn't able to react fast enough as he got hit by the hard-shelled seeds.

"It's okay, Power. Let's try another strategy! Power, let's try Karate Chop!"

"Puncher, push Power back with Iron Tail!" Puncher had the speed advantage, as he easily pushed Power back and made him fell onto the ground, but he was not giving up yet.

Puncher teased, "You're too weak for a Fighting type. Let me show you what a real Fighting type is."

Power, who was angered by his words, tried to say something but he failed: he was speechless.

The Superpower Pokémon slowly stood up but his mind was starting to give up.

 _Maybe... I'm weak after all?_

"Power, don't listen to what he said! I believe in you, and you might not be the best, but you're the one and only Power!" Power's ears perked up upon hearing my encouraging words, and a fire suddenly burnt inside his heart.

 _I won't lose!_

"Puncher, finish him off with Sky Uppercut!" Puncher crackled his knuckles, ready for his last attack. However, as he rushed in, a heavy object smashed into his face, and he lost his balance.

 _It was Power. He used Fling at the exact right time!_

But Puncher quickly recovered as he continued trying to attack Power, but Power suddenly used his strength and threw Puncher to the air and crushed him down the field.

 _That's the move... Seismic Toss!_

Power happily sighed, but I noticed he was also getting tired. This battle was going to end soon.

"Power, one last Seismic Toss!" I yelled my last command out.

"Puncher, counter with Seed Bomb!"

Puncher was faster than Power as he launched the seeds and hit Power, but Power fought through the pain and threw Puncher to the air one last time. After sending Puncher back to the battlefield, his final energy left him as he collapsed of exhaustion. I sighed, disappointed, but I knew he did well.

 _Good try. Good try._

However, the results shocked me as the referee said, "This match between Lows and Charmaine is a tie!"

 _A tie?_ I thought while locked my eyes at the two Pokémon who were in battle. What I didn't expect was that Puncher fainted as well.

The referee continued, "As a result, the gym leader shall determined whether the challenger deserves to earn the badge!"

 _Will sis... give me the badge?_

My sister slowly walked towards me and said something unusual. "Let's go to my office, and we'll discuss this through."

As she finished talking, she walked towards her small office as I quickly followed. After we both walked in, she closed the door and said, "Look, little bro. I know I don't usually make slow decisions, but this is something I really needed to ask."

"W-What is it, sis?"

She took a deep breath as she said, "Lows, did you look at my team before you challenge me?"

"N-No! I really didn't!"

"Lows, don't lie to me. I know that you checked my team with that new application in your Pokégear. You told me before that Wally installed it for you. You seemed to know that I was going to send out Flora when she appeared."

"I really didn't! You have to trust me! I do have the app, but that doesn't mean I checked the team! I did have the intention, but in the end I didn't do anything!" I said as my eyes started filling with tears.

"No more explanations, Lows. You're not going to get this badge if you lie to me. Be honest!"

"I'm not lying, I swear!" I sobbed, "S-Sis, why don't y-you trust me?! I trusted you two years ago, but you lied to me! When I'm honest with you right now, you just don't believe me! I-I hate it!" I sat on the ground, crying.

"O-Oh no, I think I went too far." I heard my sister mumbling. Her voice then got closer as she said, "L-Lows, I'm sorry. Please get up, I'll explain to you."

I was confused, but I wiped off my tears and slowly got up. My sister then sighed and said, "Sorry, Lows. It was a test."

"W-What test?"

"It's a test to see if you're actually lying or not. It really seem like you didn't. I'll give you the badge later. I'm sorry... for everything."

"I-It's okay..." I was shocked, still not fully recovered from what just happened.

"N-No, what you said really is true... I lied to you, and it must be hurtful. Sorry, I just didn't want to upset you..."

"I just blurted those words when I was sad and angry. I don't really hate you, just a little... upset."

"Anyways, thanks for not lying, Lows. I appreciated that, you're not being like me!"

"Nah, sis... I'm just glad that I followed my heart." I recovered from what just happened, and I smiled while thinking of my decision a few hours ago...

* * *

 _He's right... My sister is the best person ever! I can't do anything disrespectful to her. But, I need this win, though..._

I gulped, while I slowly made my decision. "No, I'm not going to do it."

"Why, Lows?" Surfer said, confused at my decision. "Didn't you want to win?"

"Yeah, I do but... I want to win with my own knowledge. Besides, you're right. it will be disrespectful to sis. She will be disappointed in me, she trusted me a lot."

"Alright then, that's my trainer! I respect your decision, and I can't wait for you to ride the waves!"

"Thanks, Surfer!"

* * *

"I am going to give the challenger, Lows the Scent Badge!" The Slateport Gym Leader said as she handed me a badge that looked like a flower. The badge actually had a wonderful scent around it. As I gladly took the badge, Regis who was waiting for the results of the discussion cheered, "That's how we do it, Lows!"

I turned to him and waved my hand excitedly as I thought, four down, six to go! I can do this!

"Lows, I hope that you can take this badge, and continue moving on. I'll be cheering for you!"

"Thanks..." I said, touched by my sister's words.

"I'll see you soon, Lows!" My sister bid farewell with me before I left the gym with Regis.

On the way back to the PokéCentre, Regis suddenly asked, "Lows, do you have some sort of... relationship with Charmaine?"

I was shocked. "W-What?"

"You and Charmaine's way of interacting... It doesn't seem like strangers. Let me guess... You and Charmaine are... siblings?"

I was shocked by how fast Regis figured it out. Knowing that lying isn't the best option, I admitted, "Y-Yeah, Charmaine is my sister. Sorry for not telling you about this, I didn't want anyone to know about it and call me 'brother of a gym leader'."

"It's okay, I understand! You wanted to prove your own strength as a trainer."

"Yeah, thanks for understanding. Anyways, can you keep it as a secret? I don't want anyone else to find out."

"Alright, no problem with that! I'll help you to keep the secret safe!"

"Thanks a lot, Regis." We continued talking while reaching the PokéCentre, and we healed our Pokémon. After that, I asked, "Is there any place I can visit before I leave Slateport? Not the market, though. I'm not used to noisy places, and I don't have much money."

"There's an amazing place just beside Slateport! It's called The Trick Master's House. Inside the place, rumors were told that many tricks confuse everyone and make them hard to get out of there!"

"Sounds interesting... Want to find out more about it, Regis?"

"Sure, let's go!"

We said, as we walked towards the one and only: Trick Master's House.

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Karate Chop, Low Kick, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the battle?**

 **How do you think of Lows' decision of not checking his sister's Pokémon team?**

 **What awaits Lows at the Trick Master's House?**

 **Questions Outside the Chapter:**

 **Do you have any ways to prevent yourself fron procrastination? (So I can learn from them ;D)**

 **Did you play the new Pokémon game: Magikarp Jump? (I did, and I'm currently addicted to it xD I've won two leagues :D)**


	32. Hoenn 28

**I'm sorry for leaving you all for so long. I'll do my best to make sure this never happens again.**

* * *

 **Lows battled his sister, Charmaine for his fourth badge, and it ended up with a tie. His sister eventually gave him the Scent Badge after giving him a trust test. Lows and Regis walked towards the Trick Master's House after that, and what will they find there?**

 **Chapter 28 - The Complicated Maze!**

"Regis... This is the Trick Master's House? It looks like a normal house to me..." I said, staring at the Trick Master's House, or the Trick House for short.

"Yeah! It's definitely this place. Let's walk in!" Regis excitedly said as we walked into the room, curious.

"Hmm... There's no one here?" I asked, confused. All that were in the house were just furniture and a huge painting.

"Shh..." Regis said while he got closer to my side and whispered, "Rumors said that Trick Master's first test is hiding inside the house using anything, and we have to find him to do the next challenge."

"Let's start searching, then." We both looked around at the furniture but it was to no avail. Just when we were about to give up, I suddenly noticed a glittering light through the glass of the cupboard.

"Could it be..." I said while slowly revealing what was behind the cupboard. And just like what I thought, the Trick Master was in there, apparently shocked to see someone finding him.

"What?! How did you find me in this narrow cupboard? You're sharp! This is my best hiding spot!" The Trick Master exclaimed. He then slowly got out of the cupboard, which I was surprised by how flexible he was.

"Alright!" He then leaped and landed on the ground with a cool pose, which scared us a bit by the sudden act. "I assumed you two came here for the Trick House challenge?"

"Actually, we-" I was about to ask some questions about how was it going to be, but the Trick Master gave me no time to talk.

"Considered your challenge accepted!" He said happily, while we rolled our eyes and forced to accept the challenge.

"Today's challenge in the Trick House will be... Maze!" He said, "Simple enough. You two will just have to finish the maze in 30 minutes, be aware of traps and such! There will be annoucements of how much time is left. The maze will be behind that painting." He said while revealing the entrance behind the painting.

"Good luck! I shall see you at the end." He then spinned around, and disappeared.

"Well, Regis... We have to do this, don't we?"

"Yeah, we don't have any choice. Let's go." Regis said while we all walked through the entrance.

What we saw was no other than the maze, but it seemed like a normal maze to all of us, so I thought it might be easy. It turned out that I was dead wrong, you'll see.

"Looks like a normal maze to me!" I exclaimed.

"Don't believe what you see for now, Lows. The Trick Master is famous for a reason."

"I guess let's try to solve this maze slowly but surely. Let's stick together, just in case we got lost."

After some searching, we all agreed in a fact: This maze is COMPLICATED!

In the middle of solving the maze, I found a weird sign saying, "Look out!" I continued walking towards the path, confused. Suddenly, I fell into a hole that wasn't too deep, but some dispensers dispensed some ink-like liquid towards me. Despite me trying to block myself with my hands, it didn't work well at all.

Regus hurriedly pulled me out, and was surprised by what happened to me. He then couldn't help himself and laughed.

"What's so funny?" I said, trying to cover my embarrassment.

"N-Nothing. Hahaha..." I grumbled at his reaction, but was still forced to move on and pretended like nothing happened.

"20 MINUTES LEFT! 20 MINUTES LEFT!" A loud announcement was made by the Trick Master. We were starting to get quite nervous. This maze is very hard!

"There must be some way..." I said while continued to search for new paths.

"We must be close! Keep going!" He encouraged me.

But the thing was... Were we even close?

I don't think so...

After minutes and minutes of walking around in circles, I got frustrated and yelled, "Is there ever an end to this maze?!"

"Hey... I remember a way that we can use to solve the maze!"

"What is it then? Tell me!" I asked with frustration. That must'd been one of the only times I lost my temper. I am surely not a clever person of solving mazes...

"Alright, alright! This is just what I heard though. You place your right hand on the wall to your right, and started walking. Eventually, you'll find the end of this maze."

"That's great! How long does it take? We have 20 minutes left!"

"Ermm... I don't know. It depends on how long the maze is. Besides, we will definitely fall into more traps." He scratched his head, unable to think of other ways.

"Guess there's no other way to do this," I said as I placed my right hand on the wall, "let's go!"

We then started running at lightning speed just by following where our right hands led to. I let Regis ran first though, just in case any traps hit us. And it did.

"Ah!" Regis yelled as he tripped over an unknown object, and instead og hitting the ground, his face hit a pool of disgusting liquid. His face turned green and it was very hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing while Regis stared at me and grumbled.

"Now, where do we put our hands again?" I suddenly faced another problem.

"I don't know, you're the one who is supposed to know!" After saying that, we all realized another scary fact.

We forgot.

 _We're doomed..._ I thought as I laughed due to how hilarious we were.

"Well... Seems like we're not the best at solving puzzles, are we?" I said between my laughs.

"Yup, looks like we're not! Oh well, we had fun, anyways." He crossed his arms as he concluded.

"5 MINUTES LEFT! 5 MINUTES LEFT!" The Trick Master announced, but quickly added, "Damn... You guys are surely bad at puzzles... Why don't I give you two a hint?"

Our ears perked up as we heard him saying, "The middleman of everything, calm while making all things better. They always solve the problems, wherever you search and go!"

"The middleman of everything... Doesn't that mean the middle path?!" I said, immediately solving the riddle as I wasn't that dumb.

"In the riddle, it says that it is calm when making everything better... What does that mean?" Regis asked as he became lost in thought.

"For now, let's go for the middle path wherever we go." We said as we found three different paths, and we immediately took the middle path. I then found out the mystery of the second line as well.

"Look, Regis! The right path doesn't have any traps hidden or shown!" I said, excited with what I found out.

"Hey, how did we never notice this before? Let's go!"

"Although it might be too late, let's have fun and run through this maze as soon as possible!"

"Alright, Lows!" He said as we ran through the maze at lightning speed. We knew that we wouldn't make it in time, but what mattered to us was: having fun and strengthening our friendship...

* * *

"Hah... hah!" I gasped for air in exhaustion. We just ran through the end of the maze, and let's just say, we used about full of our remaining energy. We were tired, very tired!"

The Trick Master noticed us as he sneered, "Took you two long enough. It's been 40 minutes!"

"Hey, better than what we expected!" Regus simply laughed it off, and the Trick Master shook his head and said, "You guys had absolute no clue what you were doing there. I never give clues to anyone, but I guess you two were the only ones, and will be the only ones that I'm giving help." He sighed.

"Thanks a lot, Trick Master for your hint. If it wasn't your hint, we would've been still in the maze right now. Even though we didn't make it in time, we'll do better next time!" I said in determination.

"I love your spirit! That's what a puzzle solver is all about. Never giving up! I'll see you two again soon, eventually." The Trick Master appeared confident with his prediction.

"Hopefully. See ya soon, Trick Master!" Regis waved his right hand as we ran off. Before leaving the house completely, I thought I heard the Trick Master said, "They're just like the Champion..."

* * *

After returning to Dewford, we stayed for a few days, doing fun activities before packing our stuff for our next destinations. That led to only one result: seperating ways.

"Regis, before I leave, thanks a lot for staying with me for the past few days, and doing crazy stuff with me!" I chuckled, thinking of the memories. I was at the Slateport Harbor, waiting for the ship I was taking to arrive. I would be going to Dewford for my fifth gym badge.

"I had a lot of fun as well. We'll see each other again, hopefully."

"I would like to battle you again. Maybe in the league, maybe at a city, who knows!" We laughed as we shook hands. After a bit of talking, I saw the ship I was supposed to be taking: S.S. Hydro.

"It's time for me to go. I'll see you again soon." I said as I started to walk off.

"Bye, Lows!" Regis yelled as I walked to the ship, determined for the next step of my journey in Hoenn.

* * *

 **On the other hand...**

Azore, the boss and leader of Team Will looked around the working place. Good, everything's functioning just as fine. He thought as he walked to his next destination to check on that person's progress.

He walked to a room that looked like a brand new room that had just been renovated. The year's best working computers were placed there, with a television and a queen-sized bed. Inside there was a middle-aged looking man appearing to be focused on one of the computers.

However, the Team Will Boss wasn't that dumb. He tiptoed towards him and tapped his shoulder. The man jumped as he adjusted his glasses. He then turned around and noticed the Team Will Boss.

"Oh no... Hey, Mr. Azore!" He appeared to be embarrassed and scared at the same time, as someone found out that he was sleeping during work, and it was not someone easy to deal with.

"What did I say about not being lazy at your work?! Our team's motive to change the world... Could be ruined by you!" The Team Will Boss' anger bursted as the man kept on saying, "Sorry, Mr. Azore! I won't do that ever again!"

"You better follow your words!" Azore angrily ended as he walked out of the room. The man watched him as he sighed.

 _Not again... I really don't want to do this work... I don't agree with his "changing the world" motive! The world's completely fine, there's nothing to be changed! But if I say this to him, who knows what will be done by him..._ He thought, heaving more sighs as he lazily looked at the documents in the computer. He had only done about one fourth of the work.

He sighed, knowing the work was unavoidable. He continued typing like what he did before, but at the inside he was lost in one certain thought.

 _What can I do to stop this disaster... What should I do?_

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Karate Chop, Low Kick, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Should Lows ever try puzzles again?**

 **The mystery of the man working for Team Will is still not revealed. Any ideas who he is?**


	33. Hoenn 29

**Lows and Regis tried the Trick House Challenge, and it didn't go as well as they thought. However, their friendship definitely developed even further. Lows then left Slateport, Dewford being his next destination. Before battling the gym leader, he found another one of his rivals, which made him curious. What was the reason of his reaction?**

 **Chapter 29 - The Backstory Behind the Rival**

 _"I will never leave until you surrender! What you're doing is not the right thing!" I said, trying to get up from the floor but to no avail._

 _"Is that what you're going to say against a guy with such strong Pokémon, and with this condition?! Just give up!" A deep masculine voice appeared in my head._

 _"I... I'll not give up!"_

 _"Fine, you've forced me to do this! Use Psychic and control him!" I saw the Pokémon suddenly used its psychic powers as I couldn't control myself and floated in the air. I had no power to defend myself with a tired condition._

 _"Throw him into the sea!" The voice commanded, as the Pokémon nodded and threw me into the sea. I slowly sank into the sea as my vision turned black..._

* * *

"Oh!" I screamed as I opened my eyes. I suddenly appeared in another place, and I'm currently on a comfortable bed in a room.

 _Phew... That was just a dream. I'm still in the ship's room!_

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I was still in the ship S.S. Hydro! But I woke up just in time for the announcement, **_"The S.S. Hydro will be arriving to our next destination, Dewford Town. Please make sure your personal belongings are with you before you leave. We hope you enjoy your stay at S.S. Hydro."_**

 _Phew, we're finally here!_ I happily thought as I packed my things and got out of the ship. As I walked out the Dewford Harbor which was newly built, the scenery of the town certainly amazed me.

I could already smell the sea breeze as I took a deep breath. I felt comfortable as I walked on the sandy path. I went to the shore and took off my running shoes. The sand felt warm after absorbing the heat of the sunlight. I let my Pokémon out as they wandered around where we were at.

"Ahh... This sand feels just warm enough to make me relax!" Surfer said as he lied down on the sand. He's a water type, so the heat is no problem for him.

"Let me try too..." Woody said as he tried to follow Surfer too, but quickly jumped as he screamed, "T-That's hot!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're a grass type! Here..." I said as I took a piece of cloth and placed it on the sand. Woody then lied down and immediately felt much better. "T-Thanks, Lows."

"No problem!" I said as I enjoyed the view of the sea. Many swimmers were having a leisurely swim as some people were rowing boats across the sea.

"So Lows, when are you going to get the last member of our team? I can't wait for it." Grace said, secretly hoping that it was a female Pokémon. She had only been the only female Pokémon in the team, and she sometimes found it hard to follow the boys' topics.

"I said not to rush, remember? I will wait until the time comes." Grace grumbled, but didn't make any objections.

"Lows, when are you going to battle the gym leader?" Power curiously asked as he sat on the sand.

"That's quite a good question, Power. I plan to battle the gym leader after a week or so. At the mean time, we can do whatever we want here. I heard that there's a good cave to explore, called the Granite Cave-"

"Exploring? Let's go!" Power excitedly said as I grinned. Power had been interested in exploring ever since that exploration in Mirage Tower.

We talked about various stuff while we enjoyed our time. We talked about the training progress, the upcoming challenges and more. But the topic that I was most interested in is...

"Hey Lows, did you know that Ziggs has a naive side of him?" Surfer chuckled as Ziggs' face started turning red.

"Hmm? How is that?"

"When we're together as five, Ziggs likes to talk a lot of unnecessary stuff, even in tense situations. Also, he likes to stay beside us wherever we go." Surfer listed out the evidences.

"Yeah! Also, Ziggs likes to play small tricks to us." Power agreed.

"I-I'm sorry, guys. I've been trying to fix the problem, but you know, my nature really makes me do these things without thinking. That's not an excuse though for myself, I'm sorry." Ziggs said as he became ashamed and embarrassed.

"It's okay, Ziggs. I'm sure that we all don't mind, right?"

"Yeah!" The Pokémon agreed with me as Ziggs thanked us and promised that he'll try his best to show a better side of him.

Anyways, after some talking, the weather was getting hotter, so we prepared to leave and book a room in the PokéCentre. But as we're ready to leave, in a distance I saw someone familiar.

"Hey, that's... Harry... What is he doing here?" I said, curious.

 _Oh wait, Brawly is his father! I almost forgot! Perhaps he's paying a visit..._

I thought while I saw Harry just ran back to the PokéCentre. For some reason, I thought I saw bitterness in his face.

"I guess that's non of my concerns..." I muttered as we walked back to the PokéCentre.

After enjoying our stay in the room, it was almost night time and I went to get some food in the PokéCentre. However, I found Harry doing the same as well.

Harry noticed me this time as he said, "Oh, hey los- Lows."

 _He no longer calls me loser? Well, I guess that's a good thing..._

"Hi, Harry." I replied politely as I got my plate of grilled salmon and a tray of Pokémon food. I walked towards an empty table and let my Pokémon out. As we enjoyed the feast, I felt like someone was watching us. However when I tried to search the person, it was always to no avail. I finished the cuisine in curiosity as I asked my Pokémon, "Who wants to go for a small walk around the town?"

The others rejected the offer as they were too full to walk, but Woody slowly raised his right hand and said, "I-I would like that, Lows."

"Thanks, Woody." I said as I returned the others and started leaving the PokéCentre with Woody. However, what I didn't notice that time was someone leaving shortly after as well.

We walked around the city as we asked about the mysterious trainer who saved me as well... Yeah, I still hadn't gave up yet. But with only the "always wearing formal suit in outdoors" clue, nobody can tell who that was.

Anyways, Dewford Town is a pleasant city with a pretty simple life. Not many tall buildings were built there, only a few small houses. There's not even a PokéMart here, but the people there didn't seem to mind, anyway. Many swimmers were around the sea as always, and also a few fishermen trying to get a big catch.

I went beside the sea as I enjoyed the view there. The sea view never fails to impress me. As I stayed there for quite some time, Woody slightly argued about the scorching sun. Just when I was about to leave the sea, I saw Harry as I turned around, which made me jumped.

"H-Harry? What are you doing here?"

"N-Nothing, just watching the sea. What about you?" His tone didn't have any arrogance or cockiness, which made me confused of how much he had changed. Not that I would complain, though.

I felt like leaving wasn't the best option, I stayed there, in an awkward situation between us two. I felt like he had something to say, but he didn't gain enough courage yet.

After quite a while, he seemed to be ready as he started the conversation, "H-Hey, why did you come here, anyways?"

"Oh, me? I came to challenge the gym leader here. I'm running out of time here."

"Oh, the gym leader here? He's hard to deal with!" He said angrily.

"How is that? Is he one of the 'hard to deal with' leaders you're talking about? He's your father though!"

"He's always strict to me, and he talked a lot of unnecessary things. He always want me to follow his way of things!" He exclaimed.

 _That's not what I heard from Flannery though... I wonder who should I trust..._

"I'm sure it will be fine."

"I guess. Also Lows, I-I have something to tell you."

"W-What is it?" I said, curious.

"Losing something important is something that might change your life forever. Six years ago, I lost my beloved Pokémon, which changed my attitude towards Pokémon. If I don't treat my Pokémon like friends, I won't feel sad when I have to leave them, right?"

"H-Harry..." I said, shocked by his backstory.

"To be honest, at the start I didn't like you. You were always in my way when I do things, and you always try to give me big lessons that I hated to hear." He said as I thought, _was I really that terrible to him? I was just trying to help... Perhaps he didn't like it._

"However, as the time continued, I started to feel like you have a great relationship with your team. I envied that. I would want to have a good relationship with my team too. But would the same thing happen again? I couldn't afford to take the risk, so I'm going to continue my way."

"Everyone has their own opinions and ways. I understand that." I said, giving him comfort. I knew he needed that after all he had been suffered through.

"Anyways, I just wanted to say, s-sorry. I wouldn't be friends with you, but at least we can stop ourselves from being enemies."

"It's okay, Harry. I don't treat you as an enemy anyways. You're a great trainer in strategies, and I'm sure you'll know what to do for yourself."

He was about to leave after he finished talking with me, but he said, "L-Lows, I have another request. Can I give a hug to your Grovyle?"

I was shocked by his request, Woody too. Harry quickly stated, "I'm not going to cause harm! It's just... I didn't hug a Pokémon in so long..." I could tell from his expression that he was hiding something, but I didn't mind. "What do you say, Woody?"

He hesitated a bit at first, but he heard our conversation too, and knew Harry's sad backstory as well as why he treated Pokémon like that. He eventually nodded, and I thanked him.

Harry got closer to Woody, as I saw his expression. It was just like he saw his old friend. He gained enough courage and gave a hug to Woody. He hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. I though I heard sobbing, but Harry was fine when he broke the hug. "T-Thanks, Lows."

"No problem. Let's battle next time!"

"Till next time... I guess." He suddenly regained his voice as he said, "Good luck battling Brawly! He's tough! Don't chicken out! Haha!" I smiled at his words, knowing that he wasn't acting that terrible towards me anymore. Although we were not friends yet, I could feel that the invisible wall between us was slowly breaking apart...

* * *

After Harry left, we got back to the PokéCentre as we trained for a few days before the battle. Little did I know that I will know a shocking truth when I meet Brawly...

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Throw**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Karate Chop, Low Kick, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the naive side of Ziggs?**

 **How do you feel about Harry's change towards Lows?**

 **What shocking truth will Lows discover when he meet Brawly?**


	34. Hoenn 30

**Lows had arrived in Dewford Town, where he and his Pokémon enjoyed the scenery and talked about stuff, including Ziggs' naive side. After that, he came across Harry, who had a sudden change in attitude towards Lows, and told him his backstory and lastly, hugging Woody, his old friend. Lows was going to battle Brawly, the Dewford Gym Leader and Harry's father, only to discover a shocking truth. What is it and how will he react to it?**

 **Chapter 30 - The Secret of the Lost Treecko**

A few days before the battle, I did some research about Brawly to find some ways to counter his attacks. It turned out that Brawly is a fighting type expert, with Makuhita being his main Pokémon, but rumors said that the Makuhita had evolved a few months ago. He was a young surfer when he was young, and he even trained with one of the Kanto Elite Four, Bruno, and are good friends with Steven, the former champion.

A few years ago, he suddenly announced that he has a son, named Harry. Except for a few close friends, no one knew how and when did he got his son. _What a background he has..._

I sat on the bed, thinking of who I should choose for the battle. My Pokémon gathered around me, trying to give opinions whenever I need them.

"Grace is definitely going to be one of the battlers for this match. She has the type advantage against fighting types." Grace smiled as she heard my words. She was excited to have a gym battle again.

"Ziggs shouldn't battle for this, he has the type disadvantage." Surfer stated as Ziggs nodded, knowing his typing condition.

"I personally think we should let the Pokémon who battled last time rest too. The ones who did not battle need some experience too." Ziggs stated a good point as well.

"I guess that's fair," I said as I listed down the candidates left, "so it's down to Surfer and Woody. Who would like to battle?"

"I think Woody should battle. He's gone a lot stronger now yet he didn't have a gym battle for two times in a row!" Surfer exclaimed.

"How about you battle, Woody?" I asked Woody as he slowly nodded, nervous but excited to have a gym battle again.

"That's set, everyone! Woody and Grace will be the ones who are battling for this time!" The other three Pokémon and I clapped and cheered.

We spent the rest of the days training for perfection, as Grace and Woody tried to master their moves for the gym battle while the other three helped.

* * *

"Here we are... We're at the gym!" I said as we stood in front of the gym. The wall was painted according to the scenery of the beach, with a few surfboards around it. _He certainly likes surfing a lot..._

We walked into the gym as the three said, "We shall support you at the arena seat, Lows! Good luck battling, Woody and Grace!"

"Don't worry, guys. We shall do our best!" I gave them the best promise I can ever do to them.

"Yeah!" They cheered as they eagerly ran to the arena seat. Meanwhile, I told the two not to be nervous and just try their hardest.

After giving them encouraging words, we opened the door and walked into the battlefield. The battlefield was full of scratches and some of the walls were even bent from all the battles.

 _I heard that Brawly trains a lot at the gym, their training focused on punching and kicking. These should be the signs of how they train. Their training must be harsh..._

The one who was facing me is the Dewford Gym Leader, Brawly. He had light blue hair and was wearing orange shirt and blue pants. His muscles were results of his harsh training.

"Alright, let's get this done, trainer! I can't wait for it!" The gym leader showed his bright smile as the battle was about to commence.

 _Nothing seems wrong to me... Does Harry have a misunderstanding towards his father?_

The referee broke my thoughts as he started speaking, "This battle will be a two on two single battles. The challenger is able to switch his Pokémon and have the first move too. The winner is decided when all the opponent's Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you understand and agree the rules, Lows from Kanto?" I nodded like I always do when I have to react to the gym rules.

"Alright, since you two are ready... Let's start the battle! Both trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"

Brawly didn't hesitate to take out his first Pokéball as he confidently threw it, "Fight through the obstacles, Champ!"

A gray bipedal, humanoid Pokémon came out of the Pokéball. It had a vaguely reptilian face with a short snout, narrow red eyes, and four pointed teeth visible inside its mouth. It was wearing a black and golden power-save belt. Its arms are muscular with dark red, vertical stripes on them.

[Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon. Its formidable body never gets tired. It helps people by doing work such as the moving of heavy goods.]

"Let's get a head start, Grace!" I threw Grace's Pokéball as she landed on the battlefield.

"The battle between Grace and Champ will now begin! Challenger, please choose your first move."

"Grace, use Magical Leaf!" Grace nodded as she succesfully hit the Machoke with the colorful leaves.

"Ignore the pain and use Facade!" Champ replied his trainer by using the move that Ziggs usually use. Grace was hit by the physical attack and got pushed back. She tried to hold back the pain as I commanded, "Grace, use Shadow Ball after using Teleport!"

"Counter with Strength, Champ!"

Champ tried to rush to his opponent as the Emotion Pokémon teleported away just in time, and shot the shadow blob towards her muscular opponent. It seemed like we were winning, but little did we know what was going to happen next.

I could see Champ getting tired as I said, "Grace, use Psybeam at full strength!" However upon hearing that, Brawly stayed calm as he said, "Champ, take the attack and hold on!"

Grace shot the psychic waves at full speed, full power. The Superpower Pokémon didn't take any actions about it as he closed his eyes and readied for the attack. The psychic waves hit him as he cried in pain, but was still able to battle. I got scared as I thought, _is this Machoke that capable in taking damage?_

Brawly smiled as his plan is going just right. He then commanded, "Champ, one last attack! Payback at full strength!" Upon hearing that, Champ did a loud cry as he rushed towards Grace, ready to deal the last damage before he fainted.

Knowing that Grace had no chance in escaping that attack, I commanded, "Grace, counter with Psybeam!"

My Kirlia was able to send out her final Psybeam attack and hit the Machoke, only to make the charged attack more powerful. Champ ignored the pain as he released his stored energy towards Grace. The impact pushed the two Pokémon back, crashing against the walls and fall onto the floor. The results of the battle was clearly seen as a tie, as the damage to both Pokémon after the collision of moves was huge enough to take them down.

"Both Grace and Champ are unable to battle! This battle is a tie! Trainers, please send out your last Pokémon!"

I ran to Grace, who was lying on the ground in pain as I asked, "Grace, are you okay?"

Grace heard me and tried to get up, "Y-Yeah... Don't worry, I'd suffered worse than this."

"Thanks for your hard work. Do you want to return to your Pokéball and get some rest?"

"N-No... Not yet, I want to watch Woody battle. C-Can you let me stay beside you? I'll tell you when my injuries get w-worse." She forced a smile to prove that she was okay. I felt that she wanted to watch my grass type Pokémon battle, so I nodded as I helped her getting up and let her leaned against the wall so she would get some support as I continued the battle.

"Be the hero, Woody!" I said as I threw my last Pokéball for the match. The Wood Gecko Pokémon appeared in the battlefield as he wandered around the field, trying to find something for his advantage.

"Surf's up, Yokozuna!" Brawly said as he threw the Pokéball, and as a red beam came out of the Pokéball, a yellow Pokémon appeared in the battlefield. It had a black marking on its chest that extends around its neck. Its feet are yellow with two visible toes. On its cheeks were red, ring-shaped markings, and it had slit-like eyes.

[Makuhita, the Guts Pokémon. It grows stronger by enduring harsh training. It is a gutsy Pokémon that can withstand any attack.]

 _So... the rumors aren't true?_

"The battle between Woody and Yokozuna will now begin!"

"Woody, use Leaf Blade!" Woody rushed as Brawly gave no response. That was until he was about to attack Yokozuna.

"Yokozuna, Fake Out now!" Woody was unable to retreat as Yokozuna attacked Woody, making him flinch. I gritted my teeth as I thought, _I didn't see that coming! I gotta be more careful next time..._

"Woody, Bullet Seed!" My Wood Gecko Pokémon nodded as he started spitting the seeds towards the Guts Pokémon.

"Yokozuna, counter with Arm Thrust!" The fighting type Pokémon gave out straight-arm punches as the seeds broke down before they could even hit him.

Just when I was thinking what could I do to attack him at least once, the Guts Pokémon said, "It's finally time!"

 _W-What time?_

A white beam suddenly surrounded Yokozuna as he started to evolve. I was shocked as I never see any gym leader's Pokémon evolve during the match. After the evolution, the Makuhita is now a large, bulky Pokémon that is modeled after a sumo wrestler. It has narrow eyes and rounded ears. On its head is a short, triangular crest. Dark blue hair grows across the tops of its eyes, around the head crest, and extends down its back to form a long ponytail. The upper half of its body is cream-colored, while the lower half is dark blue.

[Hariyama, the Arm Thrust Pokémon. It stomps on the ground to build power. It can send a 10-ton truck flying with a straight-arm punch.]

 _That's not good at all..._

Woody was obviously shocked as well, taking a few steps back as he stumbled and fell on the ground. He started to panic and didn't know what to do.

As his trainer, I felt like I needed to comfort him. As such, I took the first step by saying, "Woody, it doesn't matter if he evolved or not! You can do this either way! I believe in you!"

Woody first looked at me, then at his teammates who were supporting us at the arena seat. Lastly, he looked at Grace, who was there, giving him a encouraging smile although tired, "Y-You can do this, Woody."

"I-I..." Woody stared at her for a while before he clenched his fist and said, "Lows, what's the next move? I can do this!"

"That's the spirit, Woody! Use Rock Throw!" Woody formed the boulder to throw it, but instead of a single boulder, multiple big boulders were formed by him as they surrounded the newly evolved Pokémon, similar to Rock Tomb.

"Oh no! Yokozuna, use Arm Thrust to get yourself out!" As the fighting type Pokémon started breaking the boulders, I knew that it will take some time, so I didn't miss the chance by commanding, "Woody, use Bullet Seed!"

Woody spitted out the powerful seeds as they hit Yokozuna through the crack between the boulders. Yokozuna ignored the pain as he broke out from the boulders.

"Looks like we have to use our last resort! Yokozuna, use Belly Drum!" Yokozuna nodded as he closed his eyes and a mysterious power was formed on its belly. Although tired, he was still able to attack. Brawly yelled, "Yokozuna, use Force Palm!"

Yokozuna rushed towards Woody, as I felt that the attack looked more powerful than it was supposed to be. Fearing that the impact would be too strong for Woody to handle, I thought of calling Woody to dodge, but it might be too late. As such, I quickly decided that Woody had to do a counter attack too, and the only way to be victorious is to...

Outspeed Yokozuna.

 _I believe in Woody's speed, he can do this!_

"Woody, push him back with Leaf Blade!" Woody readied his attack as the fighting type continued rushing, although Yokozuna tried his best, his speed weren't fast enough to match against Woody's. My grass type Pokémon was able to slash Yokozuna first with the sharp leaf formed on his right hand. Luck seemed to be on our side, as I saw that attack being a critical hit. Brawly saw the condition as he yelled, "Yokozuna, retreat and recharge!"

"You can't do that! Woody, Pursuit!"

As the wrestler-like Pokémon tried to retreat, Woody put his good speed to use as he heavily striked the opponent. Yakozuna who wad tired from the Belly Drum before, fainted after getting attacked up and down.

"Yakozuna is unable to battle! Woody wins! The winner is the challenger, Lows from Kanto!" I happily rushed towards Woody as I gave him a big hug. "Great job, Woody!"

"Thanks, Lows! I'm happy that I was able to step up!" He then noticed Grace who was watching him from far away and ran towards her. "Grace, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm good. That was a great battle, Woody! Good job gaining your confidence." She widely smiled as she softly hugged him as she leaned her head towards his chest, making him blush wildly.

"I-It's no problem..." He shyly said as I smirked watching his reaction.

As they broke the hug, Brawly came towards us and said, "Great job, Lows! You and your Pokémon coordinated well even against a newly evolved Pokémon. Well played! With that, I present you the Knuckle Badge!" Saying that, he slowly took out a badge that looked like a clenched fist and handed it to me, which I gladly accepted and thanked him.

"Lows, I heard a lot of you from someone. If you have the heart to treat your Pokémon well, continue that. That's something every trainer should always do."

"Did Harry talk about me?" I curiously asked, as the only possibility could be only Harry.

"Y-Yes. What did he say about me? I saw you two talking beside the beach there, and he certainly did not have a good look on his face."

"I-I guess you know that already, Brawly. He didn't like you that much. He said that you always want him to go the way you wanted him to do. But I don't believe that, since I heard from Flannery that you are a nice person."

"Lows, do you know why he said that? I always wanted him to treat Pokémon like friends, not tools for victory. He seemed to be harsh enough to reject my advice, after that incident..." Saying that, he sighed.

"Can you tell me the details of it? All I know is that he lost his loved Pokémon six years ago."

"That pretty much said everything about the incident, but sure, I'll tell you everything.

Harry was five years old back then, and I gave him a Treecko. He was happy and took him around everywhere. He had a good memory, so he could identify which one was his Treecko.

Everything was fine until one day, the Treecko disappeared. Harry was so sad, that he decided to not have any good relationship with his Pokémon in the future. That made me frustrated because he thinks like that after his trauma. Although he lost something important, this is not the excuse to do that!

He saw you and he talked to me about how much you cared about your Pokémon. I told him that he should put you as a role model, but he bashed about how bad of a trainer you are. But I don't see anything bad from you, you're a great trainer! You can definitely go far."

"Hehe... Thanks, Brawly." I rubbed my head as I embarrasssingly smiled. "But why, does Harry never listen to you? You're giving him advice in the right way..."

"I guess, our bond between father and son isn't strong enough. Lows... I have a secret to tell you. Only a few know about this, so I need you to keep this as a secret." He sighed as he continued, "Harry is adopted by me."

I was indeed shocked, but I tried to stay calm as he continued, "A few years ago, I was back from surfing while some villager said that he found a newly born baby just beside the sea. He was suffering terribly, and no one had the ability to help him. After thinking for a long time, I adopted him as my son. However, he doesn't listen to me that much after he grew up. I wish our relationship can be better..."

"I hope so too... Don't worry, I'll keep it as a secret." Brawly gratefully smiled at me, as we talked for a while before we bid farewell.

* * *

Back to our room, I announced, "Alright everyone, you all did really well throughout the week! Who wants a big feast in the room tonight? I'll cook today!" My Pokémon cheered, but I noticed that Woody was somehow... upset?

I ignored that at the meantime as I continued to announce while holding the ship ticket that I bought, "Our ship to Petalburg will be arriving in two days. In the meantime, let's go exploring in Granite Cave tomorrow!" More cheers were given as the reaction, especially Power. However, Woody was still reactionless.

"Woody, what's going on?" I whispered, while Woody just shook his head and went to a corner. I was curious by his strange actions, as I was about to comfort him, someone touched my back. It was Grace, as she noticed Woody's behaviour as well. "Can I help? He's been acting strange ever since the conversation between you and Brawly."

"Sure... But why do you want to help?"

"O-Oh! I just wanted to help him... That's all!"

"I see..." I smirked as we continued walking towards the Wood Gecko Pokémon. I asked, "Woody, you know you can tell us if you suffered anything bad. We're here to help."

Woody slowly turned to me, with a sad expression on his face. "Lows... How should I react to this?"

"React to what?"

"H-Harry was my former trainer... I-I could tell after hearing Brawly's story..." Saying that, he burst into tears as he knelt to the ground. Another shocking truth hit me, as I went to him and petted him, "It's okay..."

"I don't know how to react to this... He became a completely different person... And now that I think about it... It's heartbreaking..."

"Woody... There's nothing we can do to change this. For now, we have to move on and continue our journey. Besides, you still have us, right? We'll go through this with you." Woody looked at me and Grace, as Grace gave him a cuddle, although Woody was in mixed feelings to react to that.

"T-Thanks, Grace. Lows, you too. If Harry wants to think that way, I can't do anything about it for now... I'll focus on my journey with you guys, and I shall do my best!" He recovered after our encouragement. He was glad to have such great teammates and friends.

"Or... You can just go back to Harry?" I teasingly asked.

"N-No! It would not be the same anymore. Besides, I'm happy here to have such great friends!" He said while looking at us.

"Yeah, don't worry. I don't want to leave you anyways. Let's go and join the others, shall we? I'll cook tonight to celebrate our victory."

"Sure!" Woody said, as we walked towards the others to talk about things. On the way, I saw Grace and Woody walking together, talking happily although it still looked a little bit awkward. I secretly smirked as I thought, _their relationship seemed to be going fine... I wonder if this relationship will develop further..._

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Karate Chop, Low Kick, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the battle?**

 **Were the two shocking truths expected for you?**

 **Do you wish Grace and Woody's relationship to develop further?**


	35. Hoenn Backstory 3

**This backstory talks about the Dewford Gym Leader, Brawly. This story was briefly mentioned in Chapter 30. Enjoy :)**

 **Brawly: The Abandoned Child**

"Surf's up! The sea is my friend!" The young gym leader, Brawly yelled as he professionally surfed along the waves. He always liked to surf, surfing is the only way to calm down his mind from all the work as a gym leader.

"Phew! That was a good ride." Brawly said as he went back to the seaside. He was going to go back home and take a quick shower and end of his busy day. However, something came up and was not going to let him go that easily.

"Leader Brawly! Leader Brawly!" A villager in Dewford rushed towards the young surfer.

"Oh, aren't you Michael? What's going on, dude?"

"Something terrible has happened! We found a newly born baby beside the sea! I-It is going to be in danger if we don't dk something about it!"

"Really?!" Brawly said as he put down his surfboard, "Let's go fast!"

After that day, Brawly had been stressed for the entire week. He didn't even go and surf to relax his mind. That certain problem was just etched in his mind. He had met his biggest challenge in his lifetime.

* * *

Back to that day, he went toward the seaside and just as Michael said, a baby was there. He quickly picked him up as he took him to a house for treatment. The baby had recovered, but his parents were unknown and nowhere to be seen. He didn't know what to do with the baby, as the others didn't have the money to adopt another child.

Just when he was thinking what to do to solve this problem, someone knocked the door and walked in.

"Hey, Brawly! How are you doing today?" The champion at that time, Steven came and paid him a visit.

"How do you have the time to collect rare stones, be the champion and visit old friends..." Brawly chuckled as he said, "Anyways, I need your help."

"What is it, Mr. Surfer?"

"You see, last week..." He stated the incident all over again to Steven. "and, the baby is currently missing a parent! What should I do?"

The champion thought for a while as he said, "There's one person who can solve this problem..."

"W-Who is it?"

"It's you."

'W-What? ME?!" Brawly flinched upon hearing Steven's answer.

"You have enough money, and you have a lot of free time despite the gym leader job! The fishermen are always busy compared to gym leaders."

"But... I've never been a father before!" Brawly yelled.

"Sure, everyone has their first experience in something new. You'll have to experience this in the future anyway. Besides..." Steven said as he placed his right hand on Brawly's shoulder, "if you don't help him, no one will."

Brawly was shook by his words, he needed some time to think about it. A lifetime decision? Becoming a father? At such a young age... Can he succeed?

He didn't know.

But he agreed to Steven's words. Without his help, the baby would be in lots of trouble. He had to help him.

Saying that, he stood up as he said in determination,

"I will adopt the child! He needs my help, and I'll do it for him!"


	36. Hoenn 31

**The battle between Lows and Brawly had commenced, and thanks to Woody, Lows managed to become the victor of the battle to obtain his fifth badge. However, he also knew two shocking truths from Brawly: Harry is Brawly's adopted son, and Woody was the lost Treecko of Harry's. However, Lows managed to comfort Woody and helped him out with his problem. They were going to head towards Petalburg until something happened, but someone was there to help. What was the incident and who was the one who saved him?**

 **Chapter 31 - Becoming the Target**

"Ah... I'm exhausted..." I said as I lied down on the room's bed, tired. I was at the ship to Petalburg, and after the exploration at Granite Cave, I was exhausted. At least I got to discover new Pokémon and amazing things there...

Although I was exhausted, I found myself unable to take a nap. So many things had happened all at once, and my mind just couldn't stop thinking about the shocking truths.

 _I guess I'll just get up and watch some television... Maybe that will help._

I thought as I got up from the bed, and used the remote control to open the television. It was a perfect timing, as the show that was airing is the Trainers program. I always enjoyed that program, I got to know the progress of trainers and some stuff that had happened before that had a huge impact on other trainers.

"Welcome to the Trainers program! This episode, we will talk about the controversy about Summer Scorcher form the Junior Division of the latest Indigo League that just took place a few months ago." My ears perked up as Summer's face was shown on the screen.

"Summer Scorcher was one of the hot picks for the Champion of the Junior Division. Before her battle against Weldon Leland, the Champion of the Junior Division in the quarter-finals, Weldon's half brother interfered by injuring Summer's main Pokémon, Blaze. This impact affected greatly as in the final battle, Blaze was forced to be sent out against Weldon's Fearow. However, Summer had to forfeit the match due to Blaze's conditions."

 _That must'd been terrible for her... I wonder if she was able to recover from that._

"Summer was hated by the Kantonians for a certain time because they didn't know the truth. However, Weldon Leland later stated the truth, making people turned their mindset towards Summer. Weldon's half brother, Stanley Leland was suspended from official Leagues and tournaments hosted by the Pokémon League Association for two years.

Rumors were told that Summer is currently in Orange Islands, participating for the Orange League. We wish her the best in the league!"

 _The Orange Islands... I don't think I'll go there, but I wonder what does it look like. Perhaps, I'll have to chance to meet her in the future..._

The Trainers program continued by showing the trainers' badge progress for the Hoenn League. I could tell that I was slowly catching up to the others. Harry was still placed first, with eight badges.

After that, I went to the bed to get some rest. Although still having a hard time to sleep, I forced myself to sleep for the next day. Little did I know what was going to happen the next day...

* * *

I was deep in sleep on the bed. However, some strange voice had woken me up.

 _"The ship had arrived in our next destination, Petalburg City. Please ensure your personal belongings are not left in your room as you leave. Thank you for boarding S.S. Pilot."_

I hurriedly got up as I thought, _oh no, it's time to go!_ I ensured I packed up everything as I ran out of the room, running towards the exit. Fortunately, I was able to run out of the ship just in time before they take off to the next destination. However, this was where the nightmare started.

I walked out the Petalburg Harbor, not aware of the dangers that will affect me soon enough.

Suddenly, I heard someone yelled, "That is the kid! Get him!" Then I was hit in the head by a hard object. I became dizzy and I quickly lost consciousness...

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes, and I was in a completely different place. It was a dark room, and I was completely tied up. Someone approached me as he said, "You finally woke up. Now, the real job starts..."

 _W-What job?_

"Kid, where is the Fiery Fossil?!" The man in front of me and asked furiously. I was obviously scared by his actions, but my instincts told me that I have to stay calm.

"W-What are you talking about?" I tried to play it off, but obviously that wasn't going to work.

"The Fiery Fossil that you found at Mt. Chimney! The boss wants it, so you better hurry and take it out!"

"I-It wasn't with me! I gave it to the police department, I swear!"

"Oh really? We shall see." He then called another person to check on my backpack, "Kyla, start checking!"

A young woman grabbed the backpack from me as she started to check the items inside it. After a while, she closed my bag and said, "Stone... T-There's nothing like a fossil in his backpack!"

The man, or Stone was caught up in surprise as he yelled, "W-What? No way! Something must be wrong!"

"N-Nothing's wrong! I told you I already gave the fossil to the police department. Why don't you go and check it?" I tried to stay calm as I continued telling my "story".

"K-Kyla! Call the boss and tell him about our progress!"

"Alright, Stone." She said as she took out a phone and started calling. After a while, she hung up as she told Stone, "The boss said to wait for it. If it's with him, it'll appear eventually. If we can't find it, we'll just have to check on the police department."

"Sounds like a plan, Kyla!" Stone then turned to me and said, "You better stay where you are! We are going away for a while! I repeat, just a while, so you better not do anything stupid!"

They walked off somewhere, which I assumed was going to eat as I heard their stomach grumbling.

 _How am I suppose to get out of here... I'm all tied up! I thought in frustration as I continued thinking, if I can get a Pokémon out of the Pokéballs from my belt, that would be problem solved... But I can't even reach my belt! This rope is so tight! Good thing that I hid the fossil long ago..._

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to say where the Fiery Fossil was! I knew that Team Will would come back and try stealing the fossil, so I stored it into the PC in the PokéCentre. The storing system in the PC is so convenient...

Anyways, although I kept the Fiery Fossil safe, they would know the truth eventually. I knew I had to get out and run away, but I couldn't even save myself from this rope!

Just as I was trying to think of a way to escape, I heard footsteps coming towards my direction. I became aware as I thought, _didn't they say they're going out?_

However, I saw a different person approaching towards me. She was definitely not a Team Will member, as she didn't wear the suit. Instead, she was wearing a green bandanna, a sleeveless and short orange tunic with a black collar, black bike shorts and red and white sneakers. She was also carrying a yellow backpack. She approached me as she took out a small knife. I became scared as I tried to back away from her.

"It's okay, kid! I'm not here to hurt you!" She said as she got closer to me. She used the knife and slowly cut the rope that was tying me. I was shocked of the sudden rescue.

"Look how scared you are!" She giggled as she said, "Let's get out of here, before Team Will finds-" She then suddenly stopped as she whispered, "Hide! I heard them coming back!"

We hurried hid behind a small shelf as we heard the two's footsteps. I heard Stone yelling, "Where is that kid?! The boss will be furious at us!"

We peeked towards their direction as Kyla said, "Don't worry! Spectra will help searching." She took out a Pokéball and sent the Pokémon out.

Kyla's Pokémon is a purple, ghost-like Pokémon. It has a round head with elaborate tufts resembling a witch's hat atop it. The tips of the tufts are paler than most of the body. It has a thin, red mouth that resembles the letter "W." Below its head, it has a long neck with a round lump midway down. Three, elliptical red spheres surround the upper portion of its body.

We tried to get a better view, but somehow my Pokédex dropped out of my unzipped backpack. I tried picking it up but I accidentally aimed the Pokédex towards the Pokémon. The Pokédex started scanning it and gave me the information,

[Mismagius, the Magical Pokémon. It is the final evolved form of Misdreavus. Its cries sound like incantations. Those hearing it are tormented by headaches and hallucinations.]

 _Oops, stupid mistake!_

The two obviously heard the loud voice as they turned towards the voice's direction and noticed us two.

"There you are! I knew that you would appear! Everywhere Team Will goes, you just have to interrupt, don't you?!" Stone's yelled as we were forced to get out of the shelf.

The teenage girl replied, "You knew that what you're doing isn't right! Why are you two doing this! The Kyla and Stone that I knew isn't like this!"

"Things changed, May! If you're here to stop us, then we'll just have to force you to retreat!" Kyla said as she commanded, "Stop those two, Spectra!"

"I'll help too! Go, Hector!" Hector has a roundish gray body with two stubby legs. Its body is hollow and can absorb anything much like a black hole. It has single red eye and three tooth-like projections. It has two wispy, light gray growths coming out of its shoulders and one on top of its head.

[Dusclops, the Beckon Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Duskull. Its body is entirely hollow. When it opens its mouth, it sucks everything in as if it were a black hole.]

"Not if we defeat you two!" The teenager said as she took out her Pokéball, "Let's battle, Phoenix!"

From the Pokémon's characteristics, I could tell that the Pokémon is Blaziken, a Pokémon that was commonly used in tournaments. I still scanned it anyways for further details.

[Blaziken, the Blaze Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Combusken and the final evolved form of Torchic. When facing a tough foe, it looses flames from its wrists. Its powerful legs let it jump clear over buildings.]

I was in a hurry as I took out a Pokéball to battle. I threw it and to my relief, Surfer came out of the Pokéball. My water type wandered around as he said, "Are we... in trouble?"

"Yeah, we kinda are. You can do this, alright?"

Despite facing two gigantic Pokémon, he still kept a smile as he said, "Don't worry! Let's ride the waves and win!"

"That's the spirit," I smiled as I commanded, "Surfer, use Water Pulse!" Surfer formed the water rings and the attack successfully pushed the two back. However, the two's trainers had different plans for their attacks.

"We know Phoenix is strong! Hector, target that Wartortle!"

"Spectra, do the same too!" The two Pokémon nodded as they all rushed towards Surfer. Just when Surfer was ready to dodge the attacks, an attack stopped the two first. The Blaziken released its Flamethrower attack as the two was force to go back.

"Looks like they will target you, kid. We should end this fast." The teenage girl took a deep breath as she commanded, "Phoenix, use Blast Burn, full power!"

The Blaziken's eyes turned red as it charged its attack. When it was ready, she summoned a huge fiery explosion, hitting the Dusclops and Mismagius. Their trainers were shocked by how powerful the attack was.

"N-No way! There's no way that Phoenix learnt that move!" Stone exclaimed.

"I've let him learn this move way before, Stone! This is the right time to use the move!"

I felt like I needed to help as well, so I commanded, "Surfer, finish them off with Water Pulse!"

My water type swiftly used the water attack and hit the exhausted two, which knocked out the tired Pokémon easily. Kyla said, "H-Hmphh! Looks like another mission ruined by the intruder!"

"I will stop you two from doing anything that's bad for you! You two weren't like this in the past! This isn't you two!"

"You don't know anything, just leave us alone! We shall be harsher next time if you interrupt again!" Stone said as he commanded, "Kyla, let's retreat!"

The girl nodded as they rushed out of the scene at lightning speed. We tried to catch up but it was to no avail.

"H-Hah..." The teenage girl gasped for air as she saw me, "K-Kid... Why don't we get out of here first? I'll take you to Petalburg."

I nodded as we walked out of the dark place.

"Anyways, I'm glad that you're fine, kid! My name's May, nice to meet you!" The teenage girl smiled as she introduced herself.

"My name's Lows. Why did you come and save me?"

"I just witnessed you getting knocked out by those two. I can't let those two do these things again!"

"W-Who are they? It seems like you know them."

"They're just my seniors at the Pokémon Trainer School. They were nice to me and the others, unlike what you just saw... They must be forced to do these things with Team Will."

"I see..." Suddenly, a Pokégear rang. I thought it was my Pokégear at first, until May took out her Pokégear and awkwardly smiled. She then aceepted the call and started chatting.

"Oh hey, Slowpoke! Took you long enough to get your answer... So, what's your plan?" She stopped for a few seconds, and her expression changed as she excitedly yelled, "REALLY? YOU CAN COME TONIGHT?! ALRIGHT, TONIGHT 8 O'CLOCK AT JAPANESE ROYAL CUISINE! SEE YOU THERE!" She then hung up and breathed wildly. She was trying to control her excitement but she obviously failed.

After a few minutes, she turned to me as she said, "Lows, it's getting late. Why don't we use a faster way to get there?"

"Faster way? How?" I asked in curiosity, but May ignored me as she sent out her flying type Pokémon. I was going to scan it, but she quickly pulled me towards the Pokémon as she said, "Hurry! Hop onto her! Let's take a flight!"

I did as what she told me to do, and I asked, "What do you mean by taking a flighttt!" I yelled as the flying type started to fly up in the sky! I wasn't ready for it, and I almost fell off if it wasn't May grbabing my hand. However, the flying type kept her moderate speed as I started to enjoy the cool wind. In what seemed like a short period, the flying type landed gracefully as we reached Petalburg.

"Wow... That was quick!" I turned to the flying type as I hugged her, "Thanks for your help, buddy!"

The female flying type nodded as she chirped happily, "No problem! Flying is enjoyable after all!" I took the opportunity to scan her, and the Pokédex gave me the information.

[Altaria, the Humming Pokémon. It is the final evolved form of Swablu. If you hear a beautiful melody trilling deep among mountains far from people, it is Altaria's humming.]

 _She looks amazing and elegant! I wonder if I will have a Pokémon like that too..._

The teenage girl thanked her Altaria and returned her as she said, "I'm going to meet someone soon, so I'll have to go. Have fun in Petalburg!"

"Thanks for your save, May! Who is that you're meeting though?"

"It's... a secret!" She replied, making me confused and curious of who it was.

"Anyways, let's exchange Pokégear numbers before I go!" I nodded as we did so. She then warned me, "Remember, you are most likely a target of Team Will now. Be careful wherever you go, alright?"

"Don't worry, I'll do my best."

She was happy with my answer as she starting to run away at lightning speed after saying, "Have fun at Petalburg, see you next time!"

"Hmm... She seems to be in a hurry... I wonder who is she meeting. Oh well! I guess it's none of my business. Time to go!" I said as the sky turned darker. I immediately went to heal my Pokémon and booked a room in the PokéCentre. After having a simple dinner in the PokéCentre, I went back to my room, not wanting to do anything outside. The day's events had been tiring me out.

"So... Is there anything you want to do today?" Ziggs asked.

"No, not really... I'm worn out. If you guys want to watch TV, play games or anything... Then do it. I won't be joining you all though, I need a rest." My Pokémon nodded as they went to the living room, assuming that they wanted to watch TV. I tried to sleep, but I kept on thinking the incident today.

 _Today was lucky... But will I be lucky again next time? I need to be more careful, to not get caught by Team Will again... Who knows what they will do next time, maybe harsher than kidnapping._

I forced myself to sleep just like the day before, and I eventually fell asleep for another day of my journey...

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Karate Chop, Low Kick, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the introductions of new characters in the story?**

 **Who was May meeting with?**

 **Will Lows get caught again by Team Will?**

 **I'll have a week break due to trials this week :)**

P/S: Special thanks to flblaziken for letting me mention a part of her Kanto arc story ;)


	37. Hoenn 32

**On their way to Petalburg City, Lows found out about the controversy of Summer Scorcher in the latest Junior Division through the Trainers program. After that, although he was able to reach Petalburg, he was caught by two Team Will Admins, Stone and Kyla. However, he was rescued by a trainer called May, and safely reached to Petalburg with the help of May's Altaria. He had a few days to prepare for the gym battle versus Norman, after his training, he found an event that was going on in Petalburg, and quickly got interested. What was the event and how will it go?**

 **Chapter 32 - The** **Pokélympics Royale** **!**

"Hello, Leader Norman!" I politely greeted as I saw the Petalburg Gym Leader. I was at the Petalburg City Gym, ready to challenge the middle-aged gym leader.

"Hmm...! Aren't you the trainer who requested a battle from me two months ago? As I said, I'll only be accepting challenges when you collected five badges-" He said but was quickly cut off by me.

"I already obtained the five badges, and I'm certainly ready to take the gym battle!" I exclaimed in determination.

I could tell he was shocked and impressed by my progress, as he said, "Not bad! You're not the fastest, but you're certainly not slow either." He said as I handed my badge case for him to check, and he nodded. "I'll give you three days to train, or do whatever you want. 9 in the morning, I'll see you at the gym. He said as he slowly walked away.

 _Alright, that is done! I guess I'll focus on training in these three days. We can't afford to take a lost right now!_

I thought as I walked back towards the PokéCentre, ready to start my plans with my team.

First thing to do, was to set up our line-up for the gym battle.

"I personally think that Power should battle in the gym battle. As you told us, Norman specializes in Normal type Pokémon, so Power has the type advantage." Grace explained, while the others nodded in agreement, except for Power.

"W-What if I'm unable to do it? Last time in the battle at Slateport, I-I almost screwed up!"

"I believe in you, we all do. I'll be there when you're in trouble, alright?" Power hesitantly nodded, and I knew that he still lacked in confidence. I knew I had to raise his self confidence, but I didn't know a way at first, until...

That will be told later. For now, I'll just go back to the line-up discussion.

"I honestly think that we have a wide range of selection to choose the ideal line-up. Nobody has the type disadvantage." I said.

"Lows... Can Woody and I step out of this battle?" Grace said, and she got confused looks by almost everyone in the team. She explained, "Woody and I battled hard in the last gym battle, so we can use some rest. Besides, the others can also gain more experience. It doesn't hurt to have more experience in battling before the league starts."

Woody nodded, showing his agreement towards Grace's explanation. He honestly had the same thought too, but he just didn't have the courage to said it to the others. He always liked and admired Grace's calm personality.

"Grace, you got a point here. Besides, after the sixth Pokémon join our team, I'll give more chances of battling to it. Therefore, I wished you five are ready by that time to help our your sixth member." I took a deep breath before announcing, "Surfer, Ziggs and Power will be battling the Petalburg Gym Leader!" My team cheered upon hearing my announcement.

"Don't worry, Lows! I'll ride the waves and all of them are facing a wipeout!" Surfer confidently said.

"No, Surfer! Sorry to say this, but I'll defeat them all!" Ziggs replied.

"No, not you! It's me!"

"It's definitely going to be me!" They quickly went into an argument, which didn't seem necessary at all. I was about to stop them, but Grace stopped me and chuckled, "Don't worry, Lows. They kept on doing that as good friends. They'll stop after a few minutes."

"How do you know?"

"They always do that when we're together. I guess their true colours are finally showing towards you."

"True colours, huh... I don't see a reason not to like them, though."

"I guess you have a point!" Grace agreed while we laughed. However, I saw Power sitting at the same position, muttering to himself. He seemed to be nervous about battling Norman.

 _ _I know I have to do something within these three days... And I'll do my best to help him gain his confidence... After Harry's previous insults towards him.__

* * *

The second day, we didn't waste much time, as we already started our training. Speed training, stamina training and many more. Soon, we reached to our battling session.

Woody and Power both stood still at the two sides of the battlefield, facing each other as I announced, "The practice battle between Woody and Power begins now! Woody, you can start the first move."

Woody nodded as he started to rush towards his fighting type opponent, releasing a Leaf Blade attack. Power saw the situation and tried to counter with Karate Chop, but he couldn't outspeed the fast Woody and got hit straight in the face. Woody had always worked hard in speed training and it really paid off as he was known as one of the fastest in the team.

Power got up and nervously tried to use Seismic Toss to Woody, only to be stopped by the boulders surrounding him. He broke the boulders as fast as possible, but Woody readied his angle as he released his Bullet Seed attack. Power, who was still trying to break the boulders, got hit directly by the powerful seeds and was pushed back. He slowly got up, but I could tell from his expression that he was upset and nervous with his performance.

Woody seemed to know it to, and tried to end it quick by rushing towards Power and going for another Leaf Blade. Power was finally able to hit Woody with Low Kick, but he took another powerful hit from the grass type. Both of them got pushed back but in the end, the results were completely different: Woody was able to stand up easily, while Power lied on the ground, unable to move.

Woody and I quickly ran towards the exhausted Power, and I healed the two with Potions. However, Power quickly stood up and walked away, leaving us two alone.

"Woody, you did a great job. Why don't you go there and join the others? I'll go check on Power." Woody nodded and walked towards the other members of my team. I quickly walked towards Power and asked, "What's wrong, Power?"

Power looked to me and sadly said, "L-Lows, maybe I shouldn't be participating in the gym battle..."

"Why is that, Power?"

"I-I struggled to even land a hit on Woody. I felt like I'm the weakest Pokémon in the team, and I might ruin the team's performance..."

"Don't say that, Power! Woody is one of the strongest Pokémon in the team right now. You're not bad either, you just need more confidence! Just like how you stepped up in the gym battle at Slateport."

"I-I couldn't had step up if it wasn't for your encouragement, Lows. But for myself, I-I lack self confidence, and that really affects me a lot in battles... I'm scared that I might screw up everything, and become a burden again..."

"P-Power..." I tried to comfort him, but he stopped me and said, "I-I'm sorry, Lows. Can you... leave me alone for a while?"

"I understand, Power. Come join us after the training is done." Power sadly nodded, as I went back to join the others. However, I knew that his mindset could be changed, I just needed to find a perfect opportunity. Little did I know that I would have the chance in just a moment...

* * *

"Alright, that's it for our training today! You guys have worked hard!" I yelled as I saw my exhausted Pokémon cheered. I also saw Power walking towards the others, still with a sad expression.

 _I guess he hasn't recovered yet..._

On our way back to the PokéCentre, I suddenly saw a crowd of people gathering at a place, while a man in a sportswear announced, "The one and only event that only happens once in four years, the Pokélympics Celebration Event is back!" The people listening cheered upon hearing that.

"The event will be held right here in Petalburg City, today from 3 in the afternoon till 9 at night! The celebration event will be involving many sports events that are in the real Pokélympics, to celebrate the upcoming Pokélympics in 2 months! The winners will get amazing prizes, so be sure to participate! I'll see you there!" The audience clapped and cheered, eager to participate in the celebration event.

 _T-This... could just be the opportunity!_

"Everyone, let's participate in the event!" I suggested, and they happily agreed. I could tell they were interested in the events as well.

I went towards a small booth there and started signing up. I had all five Pokémon participating in an event for each of them, so that everyone got to enjoy the fun. After that, we went back to the PokéCentre, prepared for the events and we were ready to face another challenge.

* * *

"Welcome... to the Pokélympics Celebration Event for year 2004! That's right, you participate and get a chance to win big! Let's start the games!" The host announced the start of the event as the people cheered in the stadium.

First up, was the swimming event. I guess you all know who I brought to this event. Surfer and I went towards the pool and prepared ourselves. We looked around and saw many huge and strong-looking Pokémon, mainly water types.

"Let's do our best and have fun, Surfer!"

"You bet, Lows!" He happily replied.

"On your mark... Get set... Go!" The referee blew the whistle, as all the trainers and Pokémon jumped into the pool. The swimming event not only consists of the Pokémon themselves, the trainers must also participate as well. I personally really liked the concept of the event.

Surfer and I swam as fast as possible, hoping to get a good result. We were doing good at first, however at the second lap, I did a small mistake and slowed ourselves down. We tried our best to make a comeback, but we were a bit far compared to the first place. Still, we swam at full strength, catching up to the others ahead of me.

"A-Almost there, Surfer!"

"Let's ride the waves and finish this!" We swam in unison and finished the race. We gave each other a high five as we waited for the results. The referee started announcing, "First place of the swimming event goes to... Clark and his Sharpedo, Frostbite!"

After giving the first prize, the referee continued, "Second place goes to... Kelly and her Starmie, Sapphire!"

I whispered to Surfer, "I'm sorry that I made a mistake, Surfer."

"It's all good! We had fun, after all!" I agreed and smiled. However, the next announcement was a surprise to us.

"Third place is... Lows and his Wartortle, Surfer!" I was happy and surprised to hear the results, however, Surfer somehow remained calm as we took the prize: 3 Super Potions.

After the prize ceremony for the swimming event ended, Surfer grinned and said, "I told you we did well!"

"O-Oh! You knew that we won all along!"

"Yeah! I saw the fourth place frustrated after losing to us in the pool too!" He laughed.

"Thanks, Surfer."

"No problem! Let's do better next time!" We gave each other another high five as we waited for the next events.

* * *

After about two hours, the host continued, "After more amazing events, we now welcome to competitors of the running event!" I happily cheered as I thought, it's finally time!

At the arena seat, my Pokémon and I saw the two Pokémon we were cheering for: Ziggs and Woody.

We eagerly cheered as I saw Grace staring towards the competitors. It was obvious who Grace was watching.

"Grace, who are you cheering for?"

"Of course it's Wood-" She realized she blurted out her choice too quickly and blushed, as she quickly changed her answer, "Ziggs and Woody are our teammates! I'm cheering for them both..."

"Hmm... Good to know." I smirked, as we focused on the racing track.

The referee blew the whistle as the Pokémon ran at lightning speed. Woody and Ziggs are both fast runners, so it would be interesting to see who would be the one to claim victory.

The two Pokémon outsped the other Pokémon as we cheered. However, Woody was slightly faster than the Rushing Pokémon.

In the end, Ziggs suddenly tripped and fell down. Just when everyone thought Woody would win this for sure, Woody suddenly turned back and pulled Ziggs back up. Although they both won in the end, but Woody ended up giving up his first place to another Pokémon.

"Third place and second place, both from Lows, Ziggs and Woody!" The audience gave us a round of applause. Not only for their outstanding performance, but also for Woody's heartwarming action and their friendship.

After receiving their prizes, many reporters suddenly went and surrounded Woody. They held a Pokétalk as they asked, "Woody, what was the reason behind those actions that you would rather help your friend than achieving first place?" "Woody, do you anything to say to your new fans after your actions?"

However, my Woody Gecko Pokémon isn't used to people surrounding him at all. He stood there, unable to speak. I went to him and told the reporters, "Sorry, he's not used to crowds." We then quickly ran away from the scene, with the reporters disappointed and going towards the winner.

Ziggs said to Woody, "Woody, thank you so much for your help! Also, I'm sorry for letting you lose first place."

"I-It's okay..." Woody replied with a small blush. Grace went to him and hugged him, making his face redder than a Tamato Berry. "Good job, Woody! You did really well. And your actions really made me happy for you!"

"T-Thanks..." He said, lost in words. It wasn't the first time Grace hugged him, but everytime she did that, Woody's shyness increased even more towards her.

I chuckled, "Alright, you all did really well! Now, let's wait for Grace's event to start." They nodded as we waited for the referee to announce, "The next event is one of the all time favourites, Psychic Power Event! Whoever moves the object the furthest using psychic powers wins the event!"

Grace stood up, ready to go for the prize. We waited for her turn and after a few good throws from the other contestants, Grace was finally up.

Grace took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and started releasing her psychic powers. The power made the disk floated, and she focused and threw the disk as far as possible. She had a pretty good performance, reaching 60 metres. She holded her first place for a while, but in the end another outstanding contestant defeated her by just two metres.

"Grace, that was a nice try. You did really well!"

"Thanks, Lows," She said while holding her prize, "I just wished I could've won the biggest prize though. But it's okay!"

"G-Grace, g-good job..." Woody said. He would've hugged her like what she always do to encourage him, but he was too shy to do that.

"Thanks, Woody!" Grace happily replied. "I couldn't have done it without all of your support."

"And now, looks like we're just waiting for..." Surfer said, as I continued, "Power's event. This will be the chance to regain his confidence. I'll check on him, you all stay here and watch, alright?"

"Good luck, Lows!" They cheered as they focused watching the next event.

* * *

"One of the last events of the day, it is the Punching Power Event! Whoever that was able to punch the hardest wins! The power of each punch will be recorded by the machine. Good luck!"

I went over to Power, who seemed to be nervous for the event.

"Power, you can do this, alright?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Look, Power. I can't follow you in the event, so I'll teach you a way to stay focused and determined. Take a deep breath, and tell yourself, 'I am the best by being myself, no matter what everyone said!' Alright? Give your best shot, Power!"

"A-Alright. Thanks, Lows." I nodded as I went back to the arena seat. Ziggs asked, "Is Power going to be okay?"

"I gave him my advice, now it just depends on whether the method would work..."

I saw Power going first out of all the contestants, as he nervously looked around the crowd. However, he closed his eyes and I sae him muttering. I assumed that he was trying my method. He kept on repeating it a few times, and he opened his eyes, ready to give his all on this punch. My eyes never went off him as he released his strength and punched the sandbag. A loud noise was heard from the punch as we cheered at amazement. However, we focused on Power's score shortly after.

It went up to 400... 500... 700... and it went up more than 900. The score is 953 out of 1000!

"Unbelievable! Lows' Power did an outstanding job and scored the highest in the history of Punching Power Event!" The audience never stopped their cheering and clapping, "Power! Power! Power!"

Power looked around the stadium and was surprised with his results. Soon, happy tears fell from his face as he smiled.

 _I'm proud of you, Power._

* * *

Back to the PokéCentre, it was already late at night, but we were eager to list down the prizes we got in total.

"6 Super Potions, 6 Revives! Not too bad!" Surfer exclaimed.

"Hey, don't forget about Power's trophy!" Ziggs said while we looked at the trophy. It was written, **"The Record Breaker of the Punching Power Event -** **Pokélympics Celebration Event 2004"**.

Power couldn't help but grinned while looking at his trophy.

"Power, how did you do so well? I never knew you were so good at punching!"

"I never knew that either. But when I was using Lows' method, I felt a sudden strength coming from me, and I felt like I really wanted to give it my all."

"That's what I call self confidence! You deserve the prize, Power! Not only that, you are also able to regain your confidence! I'm proud of you." I said while petting my Fighting type.

"Hehe... Thanks!"

"So, are you going to participate in the gym battle?"

"You bet, Lows! Win or lose, I'll do my best!"

We laughed in the room, happy that Power became more confident and less stressful. This is another new page of our progress towards our dreams in our Pokémon journey!

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machop, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Karate Chop, Low Kick, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the celebration event for the Pokélympics?**

 **How do you feel about Power being more confident after his success?**


	38. Hoenn 33

**After scheduling a gym battle with Norman, they decided the line-up of the gym battle, which consists of Surfer, Ziggs and Power. However, Power was struggling during his training and wanted to give up due to his lack of confidence. After their training, they participated in the Pokélympics Celebration Event, where all Pokémon of Lows' team succeeded, and it helped to regain Power's self confidence. The time had come for Lows to battle Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader. Will he be able to outstand the normal type master?**

 **Chapter 33 - Aggressiveness Overload!**

It was another exciting day: the day of the gym battle at Petalburg. I woke up extremely early, prepared the breakfast for all of us, and called the others, who were still deep asleep to wake up.

My water type Pokémon woke up first as he said drowsily, "C-Can't we wake up a bit later? I'm still tired..."

"Sorry, but it isn't the time to stay up late now! We have a gym battle to go for, remember?"

"O-Oh, yeah! Getting up now..." He said as he quickly woke up. He is always enthusiastic when it comes to battling.

Just when all of my team woke up, I realized someone was missing: Power. After some searching, I found Power practicing his attacks at a corner of our room. I went over and petted him, making him jumped.

"Come on, Power. I know you're getting ready for the battle, but a day won't start perfectly without a good breakfast!"

"Y-Yeah, you're right, Lows. I-I'll go ahead and join them." He said as he walked towards the others at the dining table.

I shook my head as I grinned, while slowly joining them all in the breakfast before the gym battle.

* * *

We stood right in front of the gym just in time. In fact, we reached earlier than the planned time. Not too much though, only about fifteen minutes...

After a while, Norman went out of the gym and noticed me, "Alright... Lows, you may come and battle me now. Follow me."

I nodded as I followed the gym leader into the gym, and the battlefield. Woody and Grace already took a step ahead towards the arena seat, cheering for us.

The referee came to the middle as he stated the rules. "This battle will be a three on three single battles. The challenger is allowed to start the first move and switch his Pokémon during the battle. Whoever manages to defeat the opponent's three Pokémon wins the battle. Do you understand the rules, Lows from Kanto?"

I nodded as the referee said, "Leader and challenger, please send out your first Pokémon!"

"Lows, in this battle, I'll show you how aggressive normal types can be! Go, Vince!" He said, throwing a Pokéball into the battlefield. It was a white, sloth-like, bipedal Pokémon with a teardrop-shaped tuft of red fur on its forehead. It had stubby ears, two small, triangular teeth in each jaw, a brown lower jaw, and large eyes encircled by brown rings. There were two stripes on its back, which are also brown. Its arms were long, and its hands and feet had two sharp black claws.

[Vigoroth, the Wild Monkey Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Slakoth. It is always hungry because it won't stop rampaging. Even while it is eating, it can't keep still.]

 _Great... Just what I wanted..._

I gulped while taking out my first choice while thinking, _hopefully you can do good for us..._

"Let's roll, Surfer!" The Wartortle appeared in the battlefield, and remained his excited look despite looking at the huge opponent: it's not like he met one of these for the first time.

"The battle between Surfer and Vince will now begin!"

"Surfer, a good ol' Water Pulse!"

"You said it, Lows!" He said while releasing the water rings. However, Norman remained unfazed as he gave out his first command, "Vince, rush right at the attack, and use Fury Swipes! We'll show them how aggressive we can be!"

The Vigoroth nodded as he rushed through the attack, taking some minimal damage before he was able to scratch my Wartortle five times in a row. Although hurt, he didn't say a word. He wanted to keep going.

I was worried as I thought, _this is how aggressive they are... Surfer is definitely not the aggressive type, so we couldn't outstand them on that part. However..._

I smirked as I whispered to Surfer about our plan. Surfer's ears perked up as he nodded and got ready.

"Surfer, stay where you are!" Although confused, Norman wasn't going to stop this opportunity: I just knew he won't. And my guess was correct.

"Vince, let's rush again and use Slash!" Vince was ready to release another powerful attack, and this was where our plan started.

"Surfer, now! Make him stop with Sand Tomb!" Surfer grinned as he summoned the sand that soon surrounded the Vigoroth. The Vigoroth was stuck in position, unable to move while taking damage.

"Surfer, keep it going! Use Bite!" Surfer went towards Vince and was ready to bite him. But something told me that it won't be that easy.

Norman suddenly smirked as he said, "Plan B! Vince, Endure!" Vince focused and prepared for the worst as Surfer bit him. Vince moaned in pain, but he was able to endure it.

"Good, now it's the time! Counter!"

 _Oh, great..._

"Surfer, retreat!" Although he knew that he won't make it, he still made an effort for it. However, the Vigoroth used his strength and punch my Wartortle, taking double the damage. This turned the tables as Surfer was almost unable to get up due to the pain.

However, he was surrounding by a veil of water, as his eyes turned light blue, ready to give out his last shot.

 _Looks like the ability, Torrent is working... We have to end this fast._

"Surfer, let's end this quick. Water Pulse again!" Knowing that Vigoroth was low on health, I told Surfer to go for a fast range attack. He obeyed my command and released the water attack with full power.

"You endured it once, time to endure the attack again! Fight through the pain and use Slash, pal!" Vince nodded as he rushed forward, ignoring the damage caused by Surfer's attack, he then used his claws and slashed Surfer, making Surfer crashed against the wall. He gave out a faint smile before dropping to the ground, unconscious. On the other side, Vince finally had enough of taking damage, as he fell onto the ground, exhausted to battle again.

"Both Surfer and Vince are unable to battle! This battle is a draw!"

I went towards the unconscious Surfer, as I whispered to him, "I'm sorry, buddy. You did really well, thank you. Take a rest." Saying that, I quickly returned him back to his Pokéball before he suffered more injury.

 _I guess it's time to let him out... He will do well, I have faith in him._

I thought as I took out the second Pokéball, determined to win this battle.

* * *

 **At the arena seat...**

"O-Oh no! Is Surfer okay?" Woody asked in concern. They just witnessed Surfer getting slashed by the Vigoroth and ended up being unconscious.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a tough one, Woody." Grace comforted him.

"I-I wish I was the one battling it... At least Surfer won't get hurt."

"Hey Woody, listen! I don't want you to get harmed as much as Surfer. Have faith in them. They'll be fine, alright?"

"A-Alright... Thanks, Grace." He felt a warm feeling inside his heart. Grace's words are always there to help him when he has a problem. He was about to give her a thankful hug, but he insisted again.

 _What if she feel awkward about it? I mean, I was always the passive one... But she always did it to help me out, so why don't I just do it too like a gentleman? No other feelings, Woody..._

"G-Grace?" Woody gained the courage for the action, while Grace looked at him, confused.

"What is it, Woody?"

"T-Thanks for your words again." He said, while he quickly went for the hug. Grace was shocked at what happened, as a small blush was formed on her face.

 _Woody's... hugging me? He never does that! No Grace, he was probably just thankful! That's all..._

"N-No problem." Grace tried to recover from the sudden feeling. However, what she didn't notice was Woody's blush was even more noticable than hers. They then went back focusing on the battle with blushes on their faces, and none of them said a word.

Woody scolded himself inside his mind, _Woody, you screwed this up again by making a normal conversation awkward!_

* * *

 **Back at the battlefield...**

I got my second Pokéball and threw it, "Let's do this, Ziggs!"

Once Norman saw that my Linoone appeared in the battlefield, he said, "I guess we think alike. Let's go, Diggy!"

 _W-Wait, that name sounds familiar..._

I was in shock as I saw another Linoone appeared in the battlefield, and he was as shocked as I am. "A-Aren't you the trainer last time at the adoption centre?"

"Y-Yeah, it was me! If I'm not mistaken, you are..."

"I'll explain, Lows." Norman cut off our conversation as he explained, "My son got Diggy from his friend, May a month ago."

 _Oh yeah, the girl who took Diggy... Now that I think back to it, that girl... was May!_

"She knew that Diggy wasn't the type to explore outdoors, so she had to give it to Brendan for him to take care of Diggy while she travels around Hoenn. She still visits Diggy often, but my son is busy with paperwork, so he gave me Diggy. He told May about it and she is okay with it. I trained Diggy up, and it turns out he is a good battler indoors without standing the crucial weather. I guess, this is something Diggy would like to do as well, and May should be happy too."

Diggy exclaimed, "Yeah! May is really happy that I evolved and became stronger, too! She promised to take me back when I want to explore!"

"That's great, Diggy! However, I'll be here to do my best to defeat you, so good luck!"

"No problem, bring it on!" Diggy happily said, eager to battle. He was just the same like when he was a Zigzagoon.

"The battle between Ziggs and Diggy will now begin!"

"Ziggs, let's go with Headbutt!"

"Diggy, do the same!"

The two Linoone bumped each other in the heads. They both got pushed back and stared at each other with determination. I knew that it will be another close battle between them two.

"Ziggs, use Dig!" Ziggs nodded as he started digging underground and finding his target.

"Diggy, when you see him get ready to Slash!" Diggy started listening closely and when he found him, he slashed Ziggs with his claws. Although Ziggs got the hit on Diggy, he still paid the price for it.

"Looks like, it's time for Plan C! Diggy, use Belly Drum and use Slash, full power!" Diggy nodded as he started charging, and a ball from of power came from his belly and surrounded him. Although tired, he went for the final blow.

Knowing that Diggy was tired, I went ahead and took the risk, "Ziggs, use Facade, full power and fight through the pain!"

Ziggs closed his eyes and released his final attack at full strength. Diggy, although hit by the attack, still rushed forward and went for the final powerful slash to my normal type Pokémon. After the collision of powerful moves, unthinkable strategies and intense attacking, both of them were down almost the exact same time, again.

 _Another draw?!_

"Both Ziggs and Diggy are unable to battle! It is another draw!"

I went over to them, while Norman did the same too. "Ziggs, thanks for your hard work." I then turned to Diggy, "Norman's right, you do have the potential! You're a good battler."

"Haha... Thanks. Ziggs, I'll defeat you the next time we meet!"

"In your dreams, Diggy!" They both softly laughed as we returned them back to their respective Pokéballs.

I took out my last Pokéball as I thought, Power, believe in yourself, and show your abilities!

I threw my last Pokéball, yelling, "I believe in you, Power!"

Power appeared in the battlefield, ready to do anything to secure the win. However, he was shocked to see his opponent as he fell onto the ground.

[Slaking, the Lazy Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Vigoroth and the final evolved form of Slakoth. It is the world's most slothful Pokémon. However, it can exert horrifying power by releasing pent-up energy all at once.]

I hurried and got Power back up and said, "Power, stay calm and use the method I told you if you're really nervous. I'll help you out whenever you need it." My Superpower Pokémon nodded as he tried to calm down.

"The battle between Power and Jackster will now begin!"

"Power, use Karate Chop!" Power nodded as he rushed forward to give out his best shot. However, Norman had a way to counter that, "Not if we strike first! Jackster, use Strength!"

Despite being a large Pokémon, his speed is comparable with Power. He slightly outsped him and resulting Power getting crushed and pushed back. However, he was far from giving up.

"Power, try again! Low Kick!" Power went for the kick again, working extra hard to land the shot as he knew this move would be super effective towards heavy Pokémon. However, knowing that Power was going to strike, the Slaking was loafing around, not wanting to defend himself. As a result, he took the hit which is in full power. Norman had a split second of fearful expression, but he quickly recovered.

 _Something's wrong... Why isn't this Slaking dodging the attack?_ I thought, but soon, I knew the answer.

"Power, I get it now!" I whispered inside his ear, "I read from a book before that Slaking's signature ability is Truant, which after a move, they loaf around and do nothing! This is our opportunity!"

"Good find, Lows!"

"However, they will surely give their all in this move. Try to endure it, alright?" He nodded, ready for the worst. He was scared, of course, but he won't give up unless he tries.

"Looks like you found our weakness. We'll have to end this fast! Jackster, all in! Hyper Beam!"

"Hyper Beam?!" Power and I yelled, as my two Pokémon from the arena seat gasped. Norman's Slaking nodded as he charged up for the attack, and released it.

As the beam got closer, Power couldn't help but feel scared, but he knew that there was no turning back, and there's only one way to calm himself down.

 _Power, you are the best by being yourself, no matter how strong they are..._

 _Power, you are the best by being yourself, no matter how strong they are...  
_

 _Power, you are the best by being yourself, no matter how strong they are!_

He clenched his fist, ready to endure the attack. However, a white beam pushed back the attack, crashing into the hard wall. Power was surrounded by a white light as he started to evolve.

 _At long last... He evolved!_

He changed into a bipedal, humanoid Pokémon covered in gray skin. He had a vaguely reptilian face with a short snout, narrow red eyes, and four pointed teeth visible inside his mouth. IHis arms were muscular with dark red, vertical stripes on them. He possessed large pectoral muscles that protrude slightly over its belt. He also wore a black and golden belt.

[Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon. It is the evolved form of Machop. Its formidable body never gets tired. It helps people by doing work such as the moving of heavy goods.]

"Power, how do you feel?"

"So much better, Lows! I feel so much stronger than before! I think I also refreshed my mind with some new moves!" Saying that, he started rushing towards the resting Slaking and grabbed him easily, despite him being really heavy.

 _Hey, I know this move..._

"Power, continue what you're doing! Use **Submission**!" He smiled as he dived into the ground with Jackster. Jackster couldn't do anything to protect itself, while Power took some damage himself, but he was fine. He was enjoying this!

Once Jackster recovered, I could still see that he was tired. Norman knew he didn't have much time left, so he went for the aggressive way again. "Another Hyper Beam, full power!"

I smiled at Power while saying, "You can handle that, right?"

"I'm pretty sure I can."

"Alright then, let's finish this off with Fling!"

My Machoke nodded as he threw the heavy object towards the tired Slaking. The two attacks hit the Pokémon almost the exact same time...

* * *

"I now give the challenger, Lows the Balance Badge!" He said while handing me the badge. It was obvious by now what the results are.

I happily accepted the badge and said, "Thanks, Norman."

"No problem! I'd take this lost fairly and squarely. Your battling style reminds me of when my son battled me to get the badge as well. Time flies..."

"Anyways, who is your son?"

"Oh, you didn't know that? Let's just say, he... has the highest status as a trainer in Hoenn." He smirked.

 _N-No way!_

"The champion, Brendan is your son?!"

"Yeah, bingo! Back in the old days, I moved here with my family to be the gym leader at Petalburg. Now... he's at a higher peak than me!" He chuckled.

"I'm sure you're proud of your son."

"I surely am! However... I'm sure that your parents are proud of you too."

I smiled, thinking of my parents in Kanto.

Norman petted my shoulder as he said, "With your talent, you can go far. Good luck!"

"Thanks, Norman! I'll see you again." We bid farewell at the entrance of the gym after exchanging numbers, while I went back to the PokéCentre and packed up my things for the next destination. My Pokémon volunteered to help me out. Are there any better Pokémon than them?

After packing up stuff, we had a short meeting about the gym battle today.

"I just wanted to say, thank you all. Surfer, Ziggs and Power, you all suffered a lot, but I'm glad you guys battled till the very end. Grace, Woody, you two supported hard throughout the battle. You all worked very well today, and I hope we can continue this spirit, alright?"

"Alright!" We cheered. I also asked Power, "Power, how does it feel to join the 'Evolved Club'?"

"I felt great and stronger!" The Machoke exclaimed with a deep masculine voice.

"I'm proud of you, buddy." I petted his head, which he enjoyed it. We laughed in the room, having a good time.

After that, we took our stuff and started another long journey to the next destination.

This destination will definitely be a long run to get there. I had to board another ship to Slateport, and walk all the way to there... But, I knew it would be worth it when we reach the next destination:

Fortree City.

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Who do you think had the most interesting battle?**

 **How do you think of the reunion with Diggy?**

 **Was Power's evolution the key of their victory? If so, why?**


	39. Hoenn 34

**The day of the gym battle finally arrived, as Lows tried to defend his team from the aggressiveness of Norman's team. After two intense draws, Power who evolved into a Machoke, was the one who prevailed in the last battle, giving his team the victory and the Balance Badge. While they're on a long trip to Fortree City for the next badge, someone couldn't stand all the tiring journey and collapsed. Who was it and how will the others do?**

 **Chapter 34 - Paying the Price**

Yeah, I told you all in the last chapter, that the journey was indeed tiring. I wasn't joking! Just for the ship ride to Slateport, it was already taking me almost the entire day. And somehow, it was windy and rainy that day, making the ship wobbly. Dizziness came to me as I lied down my bed, trying to sleep but to no avail.

I couldn't get much sleep as I suffered this all alone. I didn't want my team to suffer like me, so I let them stay in their Pokéballs. The Pokéball was known to have a protective environment for the Pokémon to stay.

At that time, I thought, _how I wish there's a Pokéball for humans, too..._

Knowing that it was never going to happen, I shook my head and tried to withstand the wobbly ship. At that day, I got barely three hours of sleep.

 _This is going to be a long journey..._

* * *

The next day in the afternoon, the ship finally arrived to Slateport. I went out of the ship as soon as possible. I still wasn't recovered from everything, and I felt sick.

 _Lows, this isn't the time to be sick right now!_

When I went into the city, it wasn't helping me at all. The noise from the market was giving me a huge headache, and it was driving me crazy.

 _Hold on, Lows... Hold on.._.

Suddenly, a Pokéball shook as the Pokémon let himself out. It was Surfer, he noticed my condition as he said, concerned, "Lows, you definitely aren't in the best condition!"

"I-I'm fine, Surfer. Don't worry about it."

"Hey, don't lie! You definitely don't seem too hot! We should go and have some rest before we keep going."

"We don't have much time... The league is in a month and a half! We gotta keep going. I'll tell you when I feel worse, alright?"

He nodded and walked alongside me, knowing that I might collapse in any second. I knew my condition wasn't the best, but I didn't want to give up just yet. Not yet at least...

After going through the crucial ship ride, we had to walk through the route to reach Mauville next. We could had chose the Cycling Road, but I was pretty sure I would crash many cyclists on the way if I cycle at this condition. Therefore, although the dizziness was trying to overtake me, I took the longer way to get to Mauville.

Surfer was definitely right to stay out of his Pokéball, as many wild Pokémon were there to stand in our way. I definitely didn't have the mood to battle them all, so Surfer was there to take them out. It took us about an hour to get through the route, which was longer than usual. I guess you know why...

"Lows, we arrived in Mauville." Surfer informed me.

 _Finally..._

"L-Let's go to the PokéCentre and rest, I guess... We'll continue our journey tomorrow."

"Told ya we need some rest! Let's go."

After registering and getting a room, I let my Pokémon out to move around. For myself, I just lied down on the bed, with the headache getting worse. I knew that my condition was bad: I just thought that I could continue my journey. I guess I was wrong after all.

 _Hopefully, I'll get better tomorrow..._

With that thought in my head, I went to sleep almost immediately due to the tiredness.

* * *

The next day, I woke up with a sudden dizziness hitting me. My head felt heavy while my body felt light. I couldn't get out of my bed at all. Whenever I tried to stand up, the dizziness was too much for me to handle.

 _I guess sleep didn't help me too much... All the rushing had resulted in this... I'm dizzy..._

Therefore, I just had to stay in my bed for quite a while, until...

* * *

 **At the other side...**

Lows' Pokémon team were currently having a deep sleep after doing a ton of fun activities at late night. However, when Surfer finally woke up, he noticed something was strange in the room. Immediately, he started telling the others to wake up.

"H-Hey guys! Why hasn't Lows wake up yet? He usually wakes up early to get ready for our journey."

"Not to mention... You're right!" Ziggs agreed.

"Did he maybe go out without us?" Woody asked.

"I don't think so, Woody. He usually goes out with us. Besides, my psychic powers sense that he's still in this room." Grace said, her psychic powers was improving everyday, and she was able to sense presence of Pokémon and human nearby.

"Well, let's go to where he sleeps and find out!" All of them agreed to Power as they slowly went towards their trainer's room.

* * *

I was lying down, although it didn't cease the sickness I was suffering. However, I heard my room's door getting opened, and I immediately tried to have my attention on it. The ones who came into my room were my Pokémon. I tried very hard to grab the Pokétalk to listen to what they said.

"Lows! You haven't get out in such a long time, so we came to see you..." Surfer suddenly noticed my pale face and said, "H-Hey, you don't look so hot!"

"Y-Yeah, I felt slightly terrible, b-but I'll be okay." I forced a smile, although I knew my condition was way worse than what I said.

"Lows, your condition is more terrible than what you stated. You should go to a doctor! There are plenty of hospitals in Mauville."

"I-I wish I can. I-It's just... I-I might be too sick to move now..." I sighed. The dizziness would be the obstacle for me to go for a checkup.

"Then, we have to find another way!" They then discussed as a team, and they had a plan. Power walked towards me and used his powerful energy and gently carried me.

"Mission accomplished. Let's go!" The team then set off to take me to the hospital. Power was being as gentle as possible so that my condition wouldn't get worse. I felt comfortable enough for the entire journey to the hospital. Although many people were staring at us with weird looks, they didn't care. They just wanted to ensure my health returns to normal.

"We're here! Let's go!" The team said as they pushed the door and rushed into the counter, trying to explain to the nurses at the counter about what was going on.

"Nurse?! My trainer is sick, help us out!" Ziggs exclaimed.

"Yeah, save my trainer before he gets a wipeout!" Surfer yelled.

The nurses were staring at them with confused looks, and I finally realized that something was wrong.

"P-Power... Tell the team that there's no need to explain anymore. I have to do it."

Power nodded as he did so, but they said, "Lows, let us handle this!"

I lightly chuckled, "G-Guys... Thanks for your help, but I don't think they have the P-Pokétalk system..."

"Oh yeah! But Lows, can you handle it?" Woody worriedly asked.

"Hopefully... Power, put me down." I was forced to stand up and explain to the nurses, althought the sickness kept on attacking me.

"Y-You see, n-nurses, I-" Suddenly, I fell onto the ground, darkness consuming me.

 _"Lows... Lows..."_

* * *

The next thing I saw when I woke up, was white walls around me, as I felt like I was lying on a cold and uncomfortable surface. I then tried to remember everything.

 _W-Where am I? W-What happened?_

Then, I saw my Pokémon rushing towards me and said, "Lows, you finally woke up! You had been fainted for the entire day!"

"S-Surfer... Where am I?" I asked.

"Did you forget? You fainted at the hospital. The doctor found out that you were too exhausted from all the journey. All you need to do is take some rest." Surfer explained.

"Sorry guys, I was trying to ensure that we are going to make it to the league... But I guess I was forcing myself too hard, and I paid the price. I'm sorry, everyone..."

"It's okay, Lows! You know that we don't care about getting into the league!" Surfer exclaimed.

"Yeah, we just want to ensure that we all have a fun journey." Ziggs said.

"And make sure that our trainer is always safe and sound!" Power continued.

"T-Thanks, everyone. Let's continue our journey after I recovered, and let's have fun out of it!"

"Yeah!" They cheered loudly, but quickly realized this was the hospital and became quiet, but their smiles never faded on their faces.

 _Maybe, I should not force myself too hard and have more fun, for my Pokémon, and myself._

* * *

 **After a week...**

"Lows Landerson, looks like you're free to leave!" The doctor checked my condition and happily said.

"Thanks, doctor. I can't wait to continue my journey!"

"However, don't-"

"Force myself too hard and fall sick again? Doctor, you told me that for like fifty times!" The doctor sheepishly rubbed his head while I said, "I'll be careful. Thank you."

After that, my team and I left the hospital and went to the next routes that lead to Fortree City. It was fun to walk through the tall grass. I'd never seen a route with such tall grass, even the cyclists were having trouble riding across them. I also witness a lot of new Pokémon around that route too. Instead of just rushing, I explored the routes and had the most fun out of it.

Before that incident, I was the one who always wanted to get things done fast. But, I knew that doing it in the fun way isn't bad too.

It didn't take long for us to reach the final route, but I wanted to explore more of it.

 _Now I get why Cassie like to be an explorer: It is absolutely fun! I just wished I noticed that earlier, though..._

After getting the last fun out of it, I decided it was good enough and walked towards the destination I took so much time to go for.

The treehouses, the nature-like town...

 _This is it._

 _Fortree City._

 _Let's have the best battle of it, shall we?_

 _Let's go!_

* * *

 **Sorry it took so long for me to update :( The big exams are coming in three weeks, and boy I am rushing. This chapter is kinda a filler-ish one, but I promise, the next few chapters will start to get interesting.**

 **Nevertheless, hope you understand and see you again soon :)**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Do you usually force yourself to do things faster? (I don't usually follow schedules because I have a lazy nature :P)**

 **Do you have anyone who cares about you more than anyone else like Lows' Pokémon to Lows?**


	40. Hoenn 35

**Lows started his long journey to Fortree City to battle the next gym leader. Unfortunately due to his personality that wants to do things faster, he fell sick but his Pokémon helped him out. After he recovered, he learnt that things can be done slowly with fun too. After reaching Fortree City, he scheduled a battle with Winona and the battle took place after a few days. However after the intense battle, Lows received a call from his friend and was shocked at what happened to his friend. Who was his friend and how will this affect Lows' journey?**

 **Chapter 35 - The Beasts Who Soar the Skies**

"What are we gonna do now, Lows?" Ziggs asked. We just finished scheduling a battle with the gym leader, and we were in our room, with nothing to do.

"Well, I was usually going to ask you guys to train, but... I know your abilities, you guys can handle it. Besides, it is late now. Let's explore around the city then, we can settle down what we're going to do tomorrow. Besides, there must be lots to explore around this forest-themed city."

"Yay! Let's go!" My water type happily exclaimed as we ran out of the room and explored around.

The air around the city is absolutely great: it could be the best air I've ever inhaled in my life. The city's residents live in treehouses, which was also something I had never seen before. I guess I did the right choice to explore around...

I found a spot around the city for us to settle down, and we can watch the shining stars at the dark sky. It was truly a pleasant sight.

I looked at the shining stars, but I sighed.

 _I wonder how everyone else is doing? Things did change a lot along my journey. My friends and I... are only able to meet each other once in a while, unlike everyday before our journey. I guess good things don't last forever._

 _I did so many reckless things without thinking, it was insane... But sometimes, it brought danger to my team and myself, and I hated myself for harming them. I just felt like I couldn't be strong enough as a trainer to protect them..._

"Oh, hello." A feminine voice broke my thoughts as I looked at the lady. She was wearing a grey flying-suit, a pair of white gloves and trousers, with small decorations resembling wings, and a pair of grey shoes. The back of her flying suit is shaped like a pair of wings.

"People don't usually come here. Are you here to watch the stars too?" Saying that, she sat beside me while staring at the stars.

"W-Who are you-" I tried asking her identity, only to be cut off by her words.

"Memories... They are just like stars, not seen but forever there. Here, I think about my past, everything important and memorable. What about you?"

"I-I just think about my old friends whenever I look at the stars." I tried to not tell her the second part.

"Hmm... Looks like we could be in identical minds." She said as she got up, saying, "I usually watch the stars longer, but I'll let you watch them today."

She was about to take off, but I asked, "W-Wait! Who are you?"

She turned back and stared at me while saying, "You'll know me... when the time comes." She said as she sent out her flying type Pokémon and flew off. I just looked at the now empty field, speechless.

 _Who... is she?_

* * *

The next day, we decided to set up our team plans.

"Well, this is going to be a tough one, since... none of you have the type advantage against flying types." They gasped upon hearing my words.

"I-I guess I'll stay out of this." Woody said, he knew that he had the type disadvantage.

"I guess that's fair. However... according to my research, she does three on three single battles. I got two candidates already for the team. Surfer and Ziggs, you two can handle flying types, so I'll let you two battle." The two nodded as I continued, "And it will be a tough choice between Power and Grace. Flying types usually use physical attacks, and Grace isn't good at handling those attacks. Power however, he's having a much more serious problem. He has the type disadvantage."

"I guess I can try to handle physical attacks. Power has a crisis that's worse."

"You might be right, Grace. I'll let you battle."

"So I announce, the team is Surfer, Ziggs and G-"

"W-Wait!" Woody exclaimed, which made me confused.

"What's going on, Woody?"

"Lows, can I battle instead. I-I have a rock type move that can crush them! Besides, I don't want- I mean, I want to battle for a while now."

"Huh? I thought you said you wanted to step out of this-"

"I-I changed my mind..." He sheepishly rubbed his head as he said. I knew something was up about him, but he was right. He had a rock type move, so it could turn into an advantage.

"After the adjustments, Surfer, Ziggs and Woody will be battling!" The team cheered, except that I saw Grace appearing to be confused while staring at the Wood Gecko Pokémon.

"Well, let's go training now, shall we?"

* * *

 **Three days later...**

"I guess we're here. Let's go to the gym leader." I said to myself as I stepped into the seventh gym. I let Power and Grace out as I said, "Learn from the battles, alright? You two will be battling soon, too."

"We should be learning a lot from this. We'll watch and learn." Grace said.

"That's what I would like to hear! I'll be going now." I walked into the battlefield, and saw the gym leader. She turned to me and I was shocked: it was the lady who watched the stars last time!

"Oh, it's you, the boy who watched the stars. I guess it's not too late to introduce myself. I'm Winona, the Fortree Gym Leader. I specializes in flying type Pokémon. I'll show you the elegance of the soaring beasts!"

The referee then came and stated the rules, which just as I thought, this is a three on three single battles. I just gave a quick nod to the referee, and thus, the battle had began.

"Let's show them who we are, Ziggs!" The Rushing Pokémon appeared to be slightly nervous of what his opponent was. I petted him and that slightly comforted him.

"We are going to soar the sky, Aero!" She said as she threw her first Pokéball. What appeared is a Swellow, but it seemed to be fiercer and stronger than Regis' Swellow. I immediately became alert as the battle began.

"Ziggs, use Swift!" I commanded as I thought, _perhaps it's time for Ziggs to learn new moves..._

Ziggs shot the star rays towards the Swellow, which were fast enough to hit the Swellow. Aero however, didn't seem to be fazed by the first attack.

"Aero, let's start flying! Wing Attack!" Aero started to spread its wings as it tried to hit my normal type, but he knew this situation before. He immediately dug straight down into the ground, making the attack a miss. The Swellow didn't make a crash landing like what happened to Regis' Swellow before, though.

 _It must be really well-trained... However, we got a way to dodge its attacks, though._

Winona though, she looked at the Rushing Pokémon without saying a word. She must had known about our strategy. I saw her making a hand movement towards Aero, which it responded with a nod.

Confused, I still commanded Ziggs our next move, "Ziggs, use Headbutt!" I knew it was a reckless move, but I still told him to do it. However, the attack somehow worked as the Swellow stood still without a sound. I can see that it was holding for something, but I was taking that as an advantage. I thought the Swellow would dodge for the second attack, however...

It got hit.

Again.

And again.

I thought the first battle was going to be done already, as I saw the Swellow started to pant from all the damage, which I commanded, "Ziggs, do it again!"

However, Winona was more strategic than I expected. She immediately opened her eyes as she said, "Aero, Endeavor!"

 _I never heard that move before... What is that?_

Just when I thought about it, I saw the Swellow's eyes becoming red as it went for a huge crash towards Ziggs. Ziggs somehow became tired after that one attack. I then suddenly remembered about the move.

 _Oh no, Endeavor! The move which the Pokémon makes the opponent the same health as itself... I fell into another trap!_

Immediately, the gym leader finally got her chance to command, "Aero, final blow! Aerial Ace!"

I couldn't be fast enough to give a command to Ziggs as I saw the Swellow releasing its flying type attack. Ziggs was unable to dodge it as he collapsed. The tables had turned!

"Ziggs was unable to battle! Aero wins!" I thanked Ziggs and returned him, as I thought about the second choice.

 _Who should I choose... Maybe, I should do the safer choice._

"Let's go, Surfer!" The water type appeared, ready to avenge his best friend.

 _I know Aero is low... I have to take it down as fast as possible!_

However, the flying type started taking off towards us. I immediately commanded, "Surfer! Stop him with Water Gun!"

Surfer tried to stop it by spraying water towards the flying type, but it was able to land his final hit before collapsing.

 _Great! Unnecessary damage..._

"Aero was unable to battle! Surfer wins!" The gym leader remained unfazed as she returned her first Pokémon.

"Your turn, Knight!" She sent out her second Pokémon, and it wasn't any flying type that I had ever seen before. It is a silver-gray, avian Pokémon with a long, metallic blue neck, legs, and tail. It has yellow eyes, a pointed beak with several pointed teeth, and a triangular crest on its head.

[Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon. After nesting in bramble bushes, the wings of its chicks grow hard from scratches by thorns.]

"...Knight, Metal Sound." We couldn't react in time as the Skarmory released a sharp and terrifying loud metal noise.

"Ouch! This sound sucks!" I said as I closed my ears, Surfer did the same too.

"Knight, Air Cutter!" The Skarmory started to form a razor-like wind that was as sharp as a blade, as it launched the wind towards my water type. It was slightly faster than Surfer's speed, and it hit him. To make it even worse, it was a critical hit, resulting more damage.

 _Great... Are you kidding me?!_

"Surfer... Let's wait for their next command." Although tired, he knew that he needed to hold on. Woody couldn't take those flying type attacks on his own.

"Knight, let's try a Rock Slide attack!" Just when she commanded to her Skarmory, I asked Surfer, "Surfer, do you think you have enough power to push the attack back to Knight?"

He nodded, "I think I can do that..."

"Alright then, let's do it! Surfer, push the rocks back to their owner with Water Pulse!" He took a deep breath as he started to fire towards the falling rocks with the water type move. The rocks were defeated by the water rings, as after quite an amount of effort, they were pushed back towards the flying type. I saw that Knight had a surprised expression as the attack hit it.

 _It must be surprised of Surfer's ability. It's time to turn the match back to ours!_

"Surfer, continue your Water Pulse attacks!" I yelled as Surfer continued the water type attacks towards his opponent. He knew that he had to win this battle.

The gym leader commanded while looking at her second Pokémon, who was trying to dodge the attacks, but ended up getting hit by some of them, "This isn't looking too good... Take the risk and use Fury Attack!"

The Armor Bird Pokémon tried to fight through the pain and jabbed my starter, but ended up only jabbing him once. Knight on the other hand, took more damage than he wanted to take.

"Surfer, time for Bite!"

"Looks like we're about to go down... Let's make the next one easier. Knight, Spikes!"

While Surfer tried his best to ran as fast as he could towards his opponent, the opponent was faster to spread the spikes around our side of the battlefield. However, it wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack as it took the full damage, as it started to shake and went down.

 _Another one down, is another one down..._

"Knight is unable to battle! Surfer wins!"

I complimented Surfer, "Surfer, good job. However, the next one that I have heard of, is the most dangerous one. Let's get ready."

"Let's ride the waves, Lows!" He didn't seem to be worried, as he happily said his words.

"Last one. Let's take off, Melody!" Her final Pokémon was undoubtly an Altaria. She was ready to show it all on this battlefield.

"Surfer, let's ride the waves! Water Pulse!" I thought that Melody's wings absorb water just like a Swablu, but I was dead wrong. It only hit the Altaria, but my plan didn't work.

"Melody, let's end this quick! Take Down!" Melody's heavy body was slammed towards Surfer's tiny body as he crashed towards the wall. He slowly got back up, but he was in serious pain.

"Surfer, one more shot before a wipeout?"

"Sure..."

"Alright then! Water Gun!" Surfer started spraying water as much as possible. He knew that he was about to go down.

"Fight through the pain and finish it off with Aerial Ace!" The Altaria showed no mercy as she released the final wind slash towards my starter. After two hard fought battles, my water type finally went down.

"Thanks, Surfer." I said as I returned him. He really fought well.

"Surfer is unable to battle! Melody wins!"

 _Down to a one on one..._

I took out my final Pokéball with determination as I threw it.

"Woody, it's time!"

* * *

 **At the arena seat...**

"Hmm... Woody is up." Power analyzed the two Pokémon for the final battle. "Woody is going to have a hard time..."

"W-What do you mean?" Grace asked.

"He doesn't have the type advantage. Besides, this Altaria is very well-trained. It's really strong..."

"I should've battle, then..."

"Yeah, I wonder why Woody did that..." He suddenly had a thought as he turned to Grace, "Yes, that's it! He wanted to battle to replace you! He really cares about you, it seems like."

"W-What are you talking about?" She said while looking away from the fighting type.

"Well, you know what I'm talking about..." Power smirked.

"Hey, don't say anything with no evidence. It's just your guess..." She said while readied herself to release an attack. She wasn't actually going to attack him: she just wanted him to stop talking about it. Immediately, the timid nature of his activated, as he was scared and just focused on the match.

She sighed in relief and petted him, "I'm just kidding, Power. Let's focus on the match."

With that, they sat still while watching this nerve-racking final battle.

* * *

Woody was standing at the battlefield. He was scared, I could see that from his expression. However, I also knew that he wanted to win this battle. So badly.

"Woody, Rock Tomb!" I knew that a super-effective move was essential for this battle. He formed and released the boulders and threw them towards the flying and dragon type. However, not all of them hit her.

"I'm waiting for this moment for too long! Perish Song!" Melody started to sing a sad song, which didn't sound good at all. In fact, it was terrible!

Suddenly, my grass type started to collapse slowly, but he controlled himself by getting back up. Worried of his condition, I asked, "Woody, what happened?!"

"I-I don't know! It feels like my energy is slowly disappearing!"

"Perish Song... is a move where both the Pokémon go down in a few turns. This is where I want to test you. It's either one of them goes down, or it'll be a tie! Let's start!"

 _I have to secure a tie, at least..._

"Woody, Leaf Blade!" I knew he had to do something to defend himself from getting attacked.

As Woody started to rush towards the flying type, Winona commanded, "Take Down!"

Woody was able to land the hit he needed towards Melody, but the unfazed Altaria slammed Woody as Woody took a step back, badly damaged.

"Are you okay, Woody?"

"D-Don't worry... I won't go down before she goes down!"

"Woody, you can do this! Bullet Seed to hold Melody off!"

"The more you defend, the more we go aggressive! Melody, Aerial Ace!"

As Woody hit Melody directly with the seeds, she fought through the pain and gave out her flying type attack. Woody winced in pain after getting hit by the super-effective attack. However, I could see that the Altaria was getting tired by the Perish Song, too.

 _Woody, just a little longer..._

"Woody, stop her with Rock Tomb, full power!"

"Melody, Earthquake!"

Woody was able to threw the boulders and hit the flying type, but it didn't stop her from making a huge quake around the battlefield. I knew Woody was going to be down soon, but he gritted his teeth while taking the attack.

He held on...

He was still standing still!

Suddenly, after a few seconds, Woody starting falling while saying, "L-Lows... I don't think I can hold on much l-longer..."

However, I knew it wasn't because of his exhaustion, it was the effect of Perish Song, as I saw the Altaria collapsing as well.

 _We secured... a tie!_

"You did great, Woody." I comforted the tired Wood Gecko Pokémon.

"Both Woody and Melody are unable to battle! This battle is a tie! The gym leader will decide whether to give the challenger the Feather Badge!"

I saw my Pokémon from the arena seat coming towards me, and I sent out Ziggs and Surfer who had slightly recovered. Winona sighed as she said, "Lows, I need to ask you one question."

"W-What is it?"

"When you said that you thought about your friends when looking at the stars, I knew you had something else to hide. What is it? May I know?"

I was stunned upon hearing her question. I didn't know what to react to her.

"So, you're not going to tell me? Then, the badge-"

"A-Alright then! I'll tell everything." I took a deep breath as I said, "Throughout my journey, I made so many friends and my team is awesome. However, I had done... so many reckless things. If they only affect me, I'm fine with them. However, some incidents... They harmed and injured my Pokémon. And I'm sure in the future, there'll be more incidents like these. Whenever that happens, I felt like I didn't have enough ability to protect them. Throughout this journey, I felt like I'm not a qualified trainer, for everything I had done..."

It was good to express all the feelings I had contained for so long. My tears eventually rolled down my cheeks, as I fell to the ground. All the bad memories, harmful incidents... made me went into a breakdown.

However, I heard words from my Pokémon while I was crying.

"Lows, you aren't a terrible trainer!"

"Yeah, we all know that! You're the one who saved me when I was alone!"

"I didn't know you blame everything to yourself... It's not your fault!"

"Everyone has their flaws, but you're the perfect trainer we need!"

"It wouldn't be the same without you!"

"We'll go through this... together!"

I felt hugs coming from my Pokémon, as I slightly sobbed. I knew I wasn't the perfect trainer, but they were so supportive to me.

Thanks, you all. I wouldn't have go through all of this without you guys. I hope... I can do my best to protect you all...

"Hmm... I see. Through this battle, I could see you made many indecisive decisions which you felt bad, as they led your Pokémon to danger. However... the care towards your Pokémon... I can see it from your actions. Therefore, I decided to give you the Feather Badge!"

I was shocked. It's like sitting in an emotional rollercoaster. Winona smiled while pulling me back up, and presented me the badge. It looked like a elegant wing carved on the badge.

"T-Thanks, Winona."

"No problem. From a few days ago, I knew that you weren't a happy person. I figured out it would be a chance to express your feelings."

"It really did. Hopefully, it'll help a bit."

"I'm sure it will. Why don't we exchange numbers?"

"Sure!" I happily accepted as I took out my Pokégear. However, my Pokégear rang suddenly. It was my good friend, Sip.

"Sorry, give me a second..." I said as I answered the call, "Hey Sip! I just got my seventh badge-"

"L-Lows! You have to help!" I heard his voice filled with horror.

"W-What's going on?!"

"Well, if it wasn't our old friend, Lows?" Another masculine voice appeared as he said, "Your friend interfered with our plans and we caught him. Why don't you hand in the thing we wanted? I'll release your friend if you do that."

"W-What?"

"Don't try to act stupid! You know what we want. Meet us at Lilycove after you got it back. See you soon..." He said as the call ended. I saw Winona looked at me in confusion. "What's going on?"

"My friend... He was caught by Team Will, and they are going to do something terrible..."

Winona stood and thought for a few seconds, and said, "This could be something serious. I'll tell the gym leaders about it. But before that, Lows, tell me everything, now."

I told her everything, and she contacted the other gym leaders. We seperated ways shortly, but we promised to meet at Lilycove.

 _I have to save Sip..._

This, was where it all began...

* * *

 **So... here's the thing.**

 **My big exams are coming in 2 weeks... Yay... not. There might be another actual chapter coming out soon, but after that, I will have a break. I knew I definitely didn't study everything still :P**

 **There will also be another side chapter along this chapter, hope you guys enjoy, and I'll see you next time ;)**

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What is the item Team Will wanted? Why do they want it so badly?**

 **Small spoiler: Lows will obtain his final Pokémon in the next chapter. Which Pokémon do you think is going to be?**


	41. Hoenn SC2

**Here we go, another side chapter! This time, it'll be presented in third person view. This chapter will affect many things in the next few chapters. Enjoy~**

 **Let the main plot begin ;)**

 **Side Chapter 2 - Trouble After Trouble!**

"Phew... Here we are. Mossdeep City!" The teenager wearing a red cap said in relief. He thought that the red cap would suit him well, so he bought it when he was in one of the stalls at Slateport.

He had only been travelling for only about two months, but his passion for starting a journey was the energy for him to go faster and faster. With his love towards his Pokémon and their strong combinations, he was able to defeat gym leader after gym leader. He was currently going to battle the Mossdeep City Gym Leader with eight badges. Maybe, he had even surpassed his friend who inspired him to start his journey, Lows too.

His name is Sip, and he was ready to have another fun battle for his ninth gym badge.

* * *

"Bounce, get it going with Psychic!" Sip commanded as his main Pokémon, who is now a Grumpig, started attacking the Solrock.

"Fight back, sis!"

"You got it! Solrock, Claydol, do the Shadow Ball Combo on Bounce!" The teenager started to panic while the combined attack hit the tired Grumpig, resulting in Bounce collapsing onto the ground.

"Bounce is unable to battle! Max is the final Pokémon for Sip the challenger!"

"Yikes. Thanks, Bounce." He returned Bounce as he turned over to his new Pokémon, Max the Vibrava.

"Hey Max, don't worry about losing. Rock it on!" The Vibrava cheered as he listened to his trainer and unleashed a Dragonbreath attack. However, he was hit back by a Psychic attack as he started to pant.

"Let's go, Max!" The Vibrava listened to his trainer's encouragement as he closed his eyes and tried to go for another attack. As he was doing that, a white light surrounded him as he evolved into a Flygon.

"Alright! Perfect timing, Max! Let's go for a Crunch attack!" The Flygon nodded as he flied towards the tired Solrock as he crunched it, resulting in an instant knockout.

"Solrock is unable to battle! It's Max going up against Claydol!"

"Max, remember what I said when we first met! Whatever battle it is, dance on the stage like a master! Max, Hyper Beam!"

"Claydol, we can't give up yet! Psychic!"

After the two attacks, the panting Max was seen at the battlefield, while the Claydol crashed against the wall thanks to the attack, and collapsed after a hard battle.

"Claydol is unable to battle! Max wins! The winner is Sip the challenger!"

"Yeah, good job, Max!" The trainer yelled as he went over to his newly evolved Pokémon and hugged him. The Flygon's happiness towards his trainer's care was shown in his face.

* * *

Sip walked out of the gym, with his ninth badge on his hand.

 _One step closer, and my dream of participating in the league will finally come true! I'm so excited! I wonder how Lows is doing. Hopefully, we'll all make it!_

As he was deep in his thoughts, he was suddenly interrupted by loud footsteps. He saw many people wearing shirts with "W" on them. He knew who they are: he read them on newspapers, Lows told him about it during video calls too.

 _Team Will? I should go and see what's going on._

Immediately, he secretly stalked them to a museum, not knowing the trouble awaiting him in just a few minutes.

What he saw next shocked him: The Team Will members sending out a horde of Pokémon and releasing a bunch of attacks, scaring the people in the museum.

"Alright, hand us over the Fiery Fossil before we do anything crazier!" The people who seemed to be the head of them spoke up.

 _Hey! Isn't that the guy Lows mentioned before? His name is... Peggy? I gotta stop this madness._

Peggy searched through the museum and saw the fossil that was located inside a close glass box. He sent out a Golem as he commanded, "Golem, break that box and hand me the fossil!

As the Golem nodded and readied to smash the box, Sip shouted, "Hey, don't touch that thing!"

Peggy gained his attention to Sip as he said, "Who do you think you are? If you wanna stop me, battle me!"

"Alright!" Sip said as he sent Max out, "Let's do this, Max!"

After a short battle, Max defeated the Golem and won. Actually, it wasn't that hard as the Golem went down after two Earthquake attacks. Luckily, the attacks didn't affect the museum much, though.

He went out of the museum, happy. There was butterflies in his stomach when he thought back to when Peggy and his gang had to leave with nothing in their hands and scared looks. His smile became bigger when he thought of the praises people gave after they left. He liked helping people: it makes him happy and the additional praises added more to that feeling.

 _Looks like Team Will might not be as scary as I thought..._

Suddenly, a hard object was hit to his head as he couldn't stand the dizziness and fainted. Behind him was Peggy, who smirked and said, "Looks like the bait worked... Now, we can start our grand plan that can change everything... Muahahahahahaha..."

Peggy commanded his team to take Sip to another place, where they would start their biggest plan they had ever done.

 _This is where it finally starts..._


	42. Hoenn 36

**After a battle with the soaring beasts at Fortree, Lows was able to impress Winona with his care towards his team and obtained the Feather Badge after a tie. On the other hand, Sip was caught by Team Will, and they knew that something was up by the villain team and decided to meet up with the other gym leaders at Lilycove. On the way there, Lows had unfortunately went the wrong way and went to Mt. Pyre instead. While he was there, he encountered a bunch of ghost Pokémon who crept him out, and as well as a huge disaster when he went on the peak. However, someone was there to save him. Who was it and will Lows be able to reach Lilycove?**

 **Chapter 36 - The Unintentional Encounter, the Final Member!**

Back at Fortree City, I walked out of the PokéCentre, fully packed up and ready to go. I knew I had to save my good friend, Sip and find out what plan Team Will had behind their backs.

I saw Winona right at the entrance, as she was ready to ride Melody and fly to Lilycove City.

"You sure you don't need a quick flight? It would be much easier." She asked.

"Nah, it's okay. I'm not too used to flying trips, anyway. I would rather walk to my destination."

"Alright then... I'll see you soon!" She said as she went on her Altaria and said, "Melody, let's take off!" Melody nodded as the two flew away from my sight.

 _I guess it's time for me to go too... Wait for me, Sip!_

However, some voice stopped me from going, "Luck notes, luck notes! Pick up a note and see what is your luck today!"

 _Hmm... Might as well get one._

I paid the shopkeeper as I picked one note from the black box. I opened it up and read the note.

"Hard times lead you to meeting someone important."

 _Is it about Sip? I'm going to save you. Hopefully the note is right..._

That was what I thought at first, but an incident later proved me wrong.

Anyways, after getting the note, I clenched my fist in determination, as I walked to my next destination.

* * *

"Alright... So, we walk this way, right? No, wait... I went the wrong way again. Phew, that was close!" I sighed as I walked beside the pond carefully, not wanting to fall off. Throughout this walk, the routes were more complicated than the usual routes to me. I just had to double-check to make sure I was going to right way.

After having a hard time crossing Route 120, I successfully reached the route to our destination - Route 121. However, this was where I messed up. It wasn't my fault, though! I never knew there were two ways: one where you go across the river and reach a dreading place. Two, walk to grassy path and successfully reach Lilycove. Easy, right? No, it wasn't! I am terrible at mazes and routes, just like what I did in the Trick House. Therefore, of course I decided to go across the river instead! That was where I messed up. Badly.

After getting a small boat and going across the river safely. The experience I had next wasn't the safest. I immediately found myself at a weird entrance.

"Hey... This city is weird... Never had those entrances for such cities. Guess we'll go in, then..."

I walked into the dreadest place I'd ever walked into in my life: Mt. Pyre.

"T-This is definitely not the right place..." I said as I wandered around the weird place. I found a list of rules pasted on the wall.

 **Welcome to Mt. Pyre, where the deceased Pokémon rest their souls. Here are the rules:**

 **1\. You are adviced to stay quiet when paying your respects.**

 **2\. Never play around at Mt. Pyre.**

 **3\. Never answer to any weird voices calling you. It could be an evil soul.**

 **4\. The peak of Mt. Pyre can be visited. The door leading to outside can be found if you walk to your left.**

 **5\. Do not get out immediately after entering this place. It is an disrespect towards the souls.**

 **With that, we wish you have the best and safest experience in Mt. Pyre.**

 _W-Wait! How did I reach this place I'm the first place! This is not where I am supposed to be! Welp, I guess I can't get out here yet... I don't want to go to the tombstones, though! Let's go to the peak instead._

I wasn't a big fan of ghosts, so I immediately went out to the other door. When I was about to open it, I heard a little girl's sweet, but creepy voice, "Hi there, wanna play?"

 _N-No thanks!_

With that thought, I ignored the little girl's callout and ran away from that dreaded place. Little did I know that there was more to come...

* * *

 **On the other side.**..

She was bored.

She had been living in this place for a while, being a guardian of the souls. She knew that if she did nothing wrong to the souls, they won't affect her at all. Many dangers came from time to time, but that didn't stop her from being the guardian. She wanted to protect them while having a place to live, although this place is creepy.

That day, she saw the little girl with the pink dress, again. She was always there, trying to cause troubles to whoever that visited this place. This time, she asked a boy to play with her. However, the boy apparently read the rules, as he just ran away from her.

Suddenly, a weird sensation hit her.

She could see the disasterous boulders going down to the peak of Mt. Pyre, crashing down to endanger the safety of whoever walks by. No doubt, it must be that little girl's act.

The little girl was known to be staying this place for years now, and her powers became stronger, and she sometimes causes disaster to people who ignore her callouts.

She opened her eyes.

She had to save the boy.

* * *

As I was relieved that I got out of her, I sighed, thinking that I should kept on going at this point.

 _Who knows, maybe the peak can bring us something interesting?_

However, someone touched me and made me jumped, thinking that it was a ghost. However, I turned back and saw someone else. It is a Pokémon with a quadruped, mammalian Pokémon with a dark blue to black body covered in white fur. It has a ruff around its neck and chest and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single blue-black oval. It has a feline face with almond-shaped, red eyes, a scythe-like tail, and a crescent shaped horn on the side of its head.

"Hmm... Who is this?" I asked to myself as I scanned it with my Pokédex.

[Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. It appears when it senses an impending natural disaster. As a result, it was mistaken as a doom-bringer.]

"Hey, Absol! What's going on?" I could see its worried expression and asked.

"...Disaster... coming." The owner of the deep feminine voice seemed to be stuttering a lot when talking, which made me confused.

"What?" I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she didn't seem that she wanted to talk more.

 _Weird... No Pokémon ever talks that little. I need more details._

I pressed the "More Details" button on the Pokédex, and it listed:

 **This Absol is a female, Quiet Nature.**

 _Oh... She's not the type to talk much. I see why now._

"Absol, I'll be alright, don't worry." I said, as I walked away from her and went to the peak. I thought this would be it for the encounter, but what I didn't know was, the Absol had other thoughts about it.

* * *

 _Alright... We're on our way to the peak... Let's just hope that nothing attacks us..._

"AHHHHHH!" Of course at the perfect timing, a ghost Pokémon appeared right in front of me! I was scared, as I quickly took out a Pokéball and sent it, not knowing who was inside it.

"L-Lows... Why did you send me out? Y-You know that I would rather stay in my P-Pokéball..." Power shivered while looking at the scary looking ghost type.

"Oops, sorry!" I returned him and sent out another Pokémon, who was Woody. Although slightly shocked by the situation, he took it out without saying a word.

"T-Thanks, Woody."

"No problem. Let's get up to the peak. I'll help you out on the way."

With that being said, I was able to walk up the mountain confidently. Although the ghost types still crept me out, Woody was there to defeat them.

Slowly bur surely, we're about to reach the top. However, another Duskull appeared, making scary sounds to scare me off. When Woody was about to attack, I suddenly heard the Duskull talking. I thought it was my Pokétalk, but it wasn't. The sweet but creepy voice appeared again.

"Why... Why don't you wanna play with me? No one ever plays with me! I want you to come with me... and play with me, forever! Hahahaha..." After her evil laugh, the Duskull disappeared all of a sudden, leaving me and Woody freaked out.

 _Great... What have I done?!_

I suddenly saw a rumbling sound. I looked up and suddenly saw big boulders rolling towards us.

 _This girl is nuts! She wants us to die and go with her!_

Immediately, I knew that I couldn't let Woody be in danger, so I told Woody, "Let's run separately. You go to a safer place first, alright?"

"B-But Lows, what about you-"

"I'll be fine! Don't worry! Get out of there!"

The Woody Gecko Pokémon nodded as he rushed across the rocks and was able to find a safe place where the boulders won't harm him. For me however, I was still trying to dodge the boulders coming from left to right. However, not all the boulders were dodgable.

"Lows, look out!" Woody shouted as I looked up again. Two boulders were surrounding me as I had nowhere to dodge those.

 _She really wants me gone..._

I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst.

However, a weird force pushed me away as I heard a huge "THUD!" sound. I looked at myself: completely fine. I then looked at my back...

I saw a fainted Absol lying there, with injuries from the boulders.

The rockslide had apparently stopped after the Absol was hurt. She must had known that she harmed the wrong target.

"Lows, let's go!" Woody said, concerned of another danger approaching.

"But Woody, we have to save the Absol! She saved me, and it isn't right to leave her here."

"Y-Yeah, you're right. Let's go and help her." We walked towards the fainted dark type, as I examined her.

 _Hmm... No serious injuries, just needed a quick heal. I think I have some Potions leftover..._ I thought as I took out a few Potions and used them on the harmed Pokémon.

Slowly, the Absol regained her consciousness and opened her eyes. She looked at me, appearing to be confused at what happened.

"You fainted from getting hit by the boulders from up there. I healed you back up." I gave her a reassuring smile.

She immediately got up and bowed to me. I waved my right hand as I said, "There's no need for that, Absol. I should be thanking you. I would be the one fainted just now if it wasn't for you who saved me."

She didn't say anything, but I could tell the happiness from her expression. When I was about to go, I said, "I'm gonna go now, Absol. Take care, alright?"

Before I left, I could see the sadness in the Absol's eyes, and I felt bad about it. Suddenly, a thought went to my head.

 _Maybe..._

"Absol, wait!" I said as I ran back to her. The Absol was surprised to see me running back.

"Do you have any interest... to conquer the obstacles with me?" I asked, but she didn't seem to get the meaning behind it.

"What I mean is... Do you want to join the team? I think you would be the perfect choice." The Absol didn't respond, but I could see her eyes sparkling to my suggestion.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'll name you Shadow, alright?" I said as I took out a Pokéball and threw it towards her, "Let's fight together, Shadow!"

The Absol let herself caught and she was caught successfully. I picked up the Pokéball as a smile went to my face.

 _The team is all set! I guess... I know what the luck note really means now._

* * *

"Phew... We're finally here..." I said as I never been so relieved to reach a city. The experience in Mt. Pyre was just... I don't think I want to talk about it again.

"Oh yeah! I need to meet up with the gym leaders!" I yelled as I noticed that the time was late. I didn't even check the facilities around the city as I went to the house that we planned to meet. I knocked the door as I said the funny password, "One plus one equals to five!" I giggled upon saying that, but I knew I have to be serious later.

The door opened and who appeared was a stern-faced Brawly. He grabbed my hand as he said, "Hurry and get in! You're already late!"

I went in and saw all the gym leaders, looking impatient.

"S-Sorry, everyone..." I apologized. Although it wasted them a long time, they were still kind enough to accept the fact that I was late for so long. I suddenly saw Harry, who was surprised to see me here. I was pretty much shocked as well.

"H-Harry? What are you doing here-"

"My dad pulled me here. He said I can help. At least I got all the badges already..." He explained. It seemed like he wasn't really happy of the fact that he was forced to help.

"Alright then, since everyone's here, we'll start the main topic we'll be discussing here." Winona was the one who started the meeting, as she continued, "We're gonna talk about the Fiery Fossil that Team Will wanted. Why do they want the fossil? Has it got some kind of special power? We're yet to find out. However, right now, another trainer is in danger. He was caught by the villain team for his friend to hand in the fossil.

Therefore, today we're gonna discuss, how are we going to stop Team Will? We need to come up a plan, to stop this troublesome team, **once and for all!** "

* * *

 **At Mt. Pyre...**

The little girl wearing the pink dress sighed.

 _Another failed target..._ She thought as she petted her Vulpix and Chimecho. She thought she had him this time, too.

"Don't worry, I'll find you all friends someday. Soon, someone will be here to stay with us... Forever."

* * *

 **Well... That was fun to write.**

 **This has been a chapter in my mind for quite a long time, I had been planning an Absol to be Lows' final addition for two months already, and I'm okay with how it turned out. With that, I think I should be focusing on my final exams now.**

 **Who knows? Maybe I'll be bored and started writing a surprise chapter.**

 **Also, before I forget, special thanks to flblaziken for letting me to use her character for this chapter! It is the little girl in pink dress, mentioned in Summer's backstory. You can check it out in flblaziken's Backstories: A Window to the Past.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading and see you all next time :)**

 **Low** **s' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Lows' final addition of the team?**

 **How do you think of the creepy girl in Mt. Pyre?**

 **What plan will they come up to fight against Team Will?**


	43. Hoenn 37

**On the way to Lilycove, Lows unfortunately stumbled to Mt. Pyre instead. In there, he encountered an Absol and a creepy girl, who was the cause of the rockslide at the peak. Fortunately, the Absol saved Lows from the disaster, and was invited by Lows to be the last** **Pokémon of the team as Shadow. After that, he succesfully reached Lilycove and met up with the gym leaders along with some other people. They were going to talk about how to stop Team Will with their plans. What decision will they come up with?**

 **Chapter 37 - The Game Plan**

"Well, it's true that we have to stop Team Will. But, we needed a plan, Winona." An unfamiliar face appeared, but I knew he is the Sootopolis City Gym Leader, Wallace.

"That's why we're here today. We're gonna come up with a plan that could possibly work in our favor." Winona explained, "First things first, do we give them the Fiery Fossil?"

"Of course not! They can't have it, they'll do horrendous things with it!" The fire type gym leader exclaimed.

"I agree with that." Roxanne followed along her friend's words.

"In normal situations, we would definitely not give them the fossil. But here's the problem." My sister stood up and pointed at me, "Lows' friend is in trouble right now. If we don't follow what they said, his friend could be in great danger while he is with the team."

"We know that, Charmaine! But either decisions would have bad circumstances! It's a no win for us!" Another unfamiliar face exclaimed, who I assumed is one of the gym leaders in Mossdeep. The other leader of the gym just nodded at her sister's words.

"Hmm... I have a plan that might be risky, but could work." Norman thought about it and got an idea.

"What is it?" Winona asked. She knew that every suggestion mattered to them at this point.

"We take the Fiery Fossil to meet the villain team. However, when one of us is going to hand it in, that is the time when we strike. We have to hide when the plan goes, and find the perfect timing when the team members aren't aware. That way, we would catch them all at once and end this."

"Your plan is good..." Brawly said, "But it definitely has a few flaws. For example, how are we supposed to get into the meeting place without them knowing? Also, we would get caught easily if there's not many places to hide there. We have to find a way to solve these problems."

Just when we were wondering how to fix the flaws, a hand raised up, "I-I think I might have a way to do this..." It was Wally, who felt strange to discuss among all the people.

"W-Well, we just have to disguise as the Team Will members and sneak into it without getting spotted."

"That could be a good way! However... how are we going to get the suits? We have nowhere to find these!" Charmaine asked.

"Well, there is a way..." Winona said as she got closer to us, "So, here's what we'll do..."

* * *

After everything was set up, we decided to stay at the house for a while before activating our plan. The gym leaders just talked about casual stuff to each other, while some of them just sat alone, thinking. I however, just went and talked to some of the people I know.

I went over to my sister first and talked to her, "Hey, sis! Are you sure that it will work?"

"Winona's plans were always able to work, so I don't see why not for this one." She suddenly whispered to my left ear, "Good luck out there, little bro. I'll help you when you get in trouble. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll do my best, sis. Don't worry."

"Well, that's the determined little bro I know! I'm gonna go talk to Roxanne, so I'll see you later."

"Alright, later sis!"

After she went towards the rock type gym leader, I went over to my other friend, Wally. He was sitting there, appearing to be lost in thought.

"Hey, Wally! Your suggestion during the meeting was great."

"O-Oh, hi Lows! T-Thanks. This is my first time in such an urgent meeting with those guys. I'm just glad I can help. So, how's your journey been going on?"

"Not too bad... I'm not sure if I have enough time for all the gym badges, though."

"I checked it on television, you have seven badges. It shouldn't be too big of a problem. I assumed you're going to get my badge next, right?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to battle you. I didn't check your team, though!" I did actually state the truth. Although I check on my friends' team every now and then, I still kept my promise till the very end.

"I know you wouldn't. After all of this is done, I'll be expecting a challenge from you!"

"You bet, Wally!" I said as we held our hands tightly, both hoping that the gym battle would come soon.

After a small chit-chat with the Lilycove Gym Leader, I went over to Winona, the leader of the planning.

"Winona, how is the plan going on?"

"Going smooth so far! We're about to take off to the destination. Hopefully, we'll be able to get what we need on time. Brendan, May and Steven will be there to help us out, too."

"Alright, the more the better, I guess." I said as I thought, _hmm... Maybe I could know the relationship between May and the two admins._

"It sure is better to do things when you're with friends. Well, although some wishes may not come true."

"What is your wish about?"

"Nothing. Just some self thoughts. Anyways, you should get prepared, we're about to go."

"Okay then. Thanks, Winona!"

I went and checked if everything was prepared. _All six_ _Poké_ _balls... Check! Potions... Check!_ _Poké_ gear and _Pokétalk... right in the backpack! O-Oh, and this too..._ I thought as I took out a diary with a pen beside it.

It was a diary for me to list down some of the unforgettable memories along my Hoenn journey. Although I left it after my stay at the hospital, I still remembered it.

 _Maybe, this is the right time for me to have some diary writing..._ I thought as I started writing. I was confident that I could write everything in my mind. I am a fast writer, anyway.

15th of October, 2004. (Friday)

Well, I have to go soon, so I'll write everything short and simple.

I got my last member of the team! Her name is Shadow, and I think she would be a good potential to the team with a good heart.

Sip was caught by Team Will during his journey, and I'm here with the gym leaders, about to start our plan to stop the villain team and save my friend. I really hope no one gets hurt and we are able to make it.

I got seven badges! Three to go for me! With this progress, hopefully I'll have enough time.

That was all I wrote for that day's diary, and I quickly put it back into my backpack as Winona yelled, "Alright, we're about to set off to our first step. Let's go!"

 _ _Here we go...__

* * *

We reached our first destination, which turned out to be outside the abandoned Team Aqua Hideout. We saw a few grunts there, probably were there to take me to their boss.

"Hey! Why are there other people there? We told you, only you come with the fossil!"

"Well, at least the fossil is there..." The other grunt said.

"True. However, the others may not cross!" As the older grunt was yelling, I saw Norman used his fingers to count, and we immediately became aware. 1, 2, 3...

"GO!" Norman yelled as we started to take out our Pokémon and attacked the grunts. The grunts were shocked by our actions and were too late to react to the attacks. As a result, they were taken out by the attacks.

"Alright, we have to do this fast!" Roxanne commanded as we started to activate the first step of our plan.

* * *

I was walking into the hideout, with four of the "grunts". I whispered, "Are you sure this will work?"

"Hopefully..." One of the "grunts" said. They were not actually grunts, it was four gym leaders in disguise of Team Will suits.

"How are we going to know the way, though?!" I said as we're looking through some teleporting panels.

We have to step through these and find the way?! I thought as I stepped on one of them, but it wasn't working. The same goes to the other one, too.

 _So... All of the teleporting panels aren't working anymore..._

"Guys, stay calm. To your left, I saw a big door that may lead to the boss." Winona's voice echoed through our ears. We had secret cameras that looked like a small black dot on our chests, and earphones that were connected to the meeting house in Lilycove. Inside there, Winona and other gym leaders were there to give us commands when we had problems.

"Alright... Let's open it up!" Brawly in disguise said as he opened the door easily.

"Wait, how did you open it?!" Roxanne whispered, confused at how he did that so quick.

"Well... I just opened it with my hands..."

"Do they actually not set a password for this thing?!"

"Wow... Their security sucks."

"I agree..." I was about to burst out laughing at this point, but I knew I had to be serious. The other gym leaders knew that too.

"Whatever the reason why they don't set a password, let's just go and end this team!" We nodded as we were ready to do this act, and walked into what was behind the door. However, it wasn't the boss, there were two admins, who I recognised almost immediately: Stone and Kyla.

They walked towards us and curiously examined us, "Who are you guys? I don't think I've ever seen you four."

"We are the new grunts that joined a few days ago, Admin Stone and Admin Kyla. We are here, bringing this boy with the fossil to meet the boss." Roxanne said, with a somewhat calm voice.

"Hmm... The team added new grunts? Never heard about it before... The boss never tells us anything. Anyways, what's the problem now? The boss' office is to your right, you four keep on walking to the wrong direction!"

"O-Oh, we're sorry! We are kinda forgetful. Anyways, which one is it again?" Brawly followed the act as he wanted to ask where our destination was.

"Walk to your right, and the big room with the boss sitting on the chair with grunts protecting him is the boss' office."

"Roger that! Thanks, Admin Stone and Admin Kyla." Wallace said as we secretly smirked.

As the two admins walked away, Winona's voice appeared again. "Alright everyone, good work so far. The other five gym leaders are on their way towards the destination, they should be there when you guys reached the office. Then, we shall ambush our way and stop them!"

We all heard what she said and slowly walked towards the boss' office. Before entering, Norman asked, "Lows, are you ready to do this?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm ready." I said as I took a deep breath, "Let's go."

We opened the door, and this was where the real act began.

* * *

"Boss, we got the boy here!" Norman said as he forcefully pushed me to the boss.

"Oh, is that so?" He said as he turned to me, "I have been listening to some of your acts to our team. Don't you know how terrible trouble you're in to mess around with a big team?"

"I don't see what's wrong about it. I'm doing something right!"

"Whatever, kids don't understand what we do. Anyways, did you bring the item I requested?"

"Yeah... I'll take it out now." I said as I looked through my backpack while trying to waste time for the other gym leaders to come. However, no signs of them coming... yet.

 _Why aren't they here yet?! We're gonna fail the plan if this continues!_

"So, did you bring the item? Don't try to play games with me!"

"I told you I did! Just let me find it!" I was forced to take it out, as I showed it to the boss, "There you go, this is the Fiery Fossil you wanted.

"Alright then. Hand it over to me!"

As I was thinking of how to waste more time doing this, Winona suddenly said, "They're here now. You can start the ambush when you're ready!"

 _Perfect..._ I smirked as I was ready to hand it in to the boss, as I said the magic word for the plan to start, "Boss, I hope you like it!"

"I sure will-" His words was suddenly interrupted by glass-breaking sounds, as the gym leaders and their Pokémon jumped down to the office. The gym leaders in disguise started to send out their Pokémon too. The grunts were shocked, but they took out their Pokéballs and sent their Pokémon out, ready to have a battle.

"I should be noticing that long ago..." The boss muttered as the grunts Pokémon were quickly taken out by the others' Pokémon.

"Do you think that's all it takes to defeat my team?" The boss suddenly smirked as he took something, which I noticed was a Smoke Ball. He threw it to the ground as the smoke appeared again, making us unable to do anything.

"Great!" One of the gym leaders said, as Winona said, "Stay calm and get cover! Don't let him get the fossil!"

Just when she said that, I suddenly felt someone hit my hand as the item fell to the ground, making me unable to find it. Suddenly, I heard someone pick a heavy object up and running sounds.

 _Great... Is that the boss?_

As everything returned to normal, the fossil was of course, gone. The grunts and the boss were not there anymore. The gym leaders were fine except for Wally, who was breathing profusely.

"Wally, what happened?"

"I-I think his asthma came back again!" My sister worriedly said as she ran over to him, "Told ya you should've stay up there."

"I-It's okay..." He said as he took out his inhaler and started using it, while my sister said, "I'll look over him. You guys go!"

We nodded as we started to ran out. There were two paths: one with the footprints and another one with nothing visible on the ground.

"It's definitely that way!" Brawly said as he pointed to the path with footprints, "Let's go!"

They ran towards the path, but I told Wallace, "I-I'm going to check on Wally. I'll join you guys later."

That was actually a lie. I went back to inspect the two paths.

 _Hmm... It's too obvious. He couldn't have left us a clue if he runs away... Who had those footprints?_ I thought as I suddenly remembered. _One of the grunts had wet shoes on! They fell into a trap!_

I wanted to inform the others, but they were already ran far away from me. I clenched my fist as I thought, _looks like it's time for myself to do this..._

* * *

 **On the other side...**

Sip was trying to escape. However, it just felt like there's electricity flowing through his body whenever he moved. It must had been that weird gadget on his body that caused it. He was exhausted, from all the electrocution and frustration. Suddenly, three people came towards him. They were the boss and the two admins. He shivered.

 _What are they going to do now?_

"Alright, I got what I needed. Let's take care of him. It's obvious that we can't keep him, right? He knows everything about our plans!" The boss smirked.

"What?! I thought you said after they handed you the fossil, you would let him go!" Stone yelled.

"You know me. I never follow what I said to people who ruins my plans. Stone, Kyla, get rid of him!"

"W-We can't do that, that's murder! We shouldn't be hurting innocent people! We hurt them enough already!" Kyla objected.

"Well... You two can insist to get rid of that boy, but... Think about your family." The boss said as he walked towards Stone, "Your grandfather... Wouldn't you want to see him again?"

Stone trembled after hearing his words. The boss then walked towards the girl admin, "Your parents... They're still with us. Don't you wanna rescue them and be together again?" He then pointed at Sip, "Then do what I said!"

"No, don't do it!" Another feminine voice suddenly appeared. It was May, who was hiding there with Brendan. She couldn't stand the boss commanding them to do wrong things.

"M-May... We can't object him! W-We have to do it, for the sake of our family..."

"No, we can solve this together! It's a no win situation, he would use you as puppets! Don't care about his lies, after we defeated this guy, we can save your parents! You can be with your grandfather again! Trust me! Be the Stone and Kyla I know from school who were so caring towards me, I almost cried with all your love!"

The two admins were stunned by her words. They knew she was right. Slowly, they had a decision in their mind: to go against the Team Will Boss.

"Oh, so you guys are turning against me?!"

"Y-Yes, Azore! I won't do anything bad anymore! We'll have to take you down and reunite with our families!"

"Hmm... Everyone in the world is against me... At least, I can finally achieve what I wanted." He said as he took another Smoke Ball, "Time to go!"

The smoke covered their sight for a few minutes, as they recovered from it, the Team Will Boss was long gone.

"Where did he go?!" May yelled.

"Whatever it is, let's rescue the boy first!" Kyla and Stone nodded as they turned off a switch and the gadget stopped working on Sip. They pulled him up as he gratefully said, "Thanks, everyone!"

"Now, let's go search through these places!" They nodded at Brendan's words, as they started looking through places, but to no avail.

"Thanks, May. I could had done something wrong there." Stone and Kyla thanked their former junior.

"H-Hey, it's no problem! You two are the best seniors I have ever met at school! It's nothing compared to how you treated me. Soon, we'll find your parents, Kyla. Then, we can hang out like friends again!"

"Alright, let's do it! However, we have a job to do for now." The other two nodded upon hearing the teenage boy, as they continued their search.

* * *

 **Back to the hideout...**

I was following the other path. I knew that he couldn't have gone far. He had to be close. Suddenly, I heard some weird sounds coming from one of the rooms. Curious, I went towards it and checked.

"W-Who is that?" I asked, and a man appeared right at the back of the door. However, no Team Will suit on.

"I-I'm Thomas! Thomas Trecks! Get me out of here!"

"I-I don't have the keys-" Suddenly, I remembered that I read this name before, when I was at Mt. Chimney! I thought back to when I read the news...

 ** _Fiery Fossil, a fossil which was discovered by archaeologist and scientist Thomas Trecks at 12 June, 2014. According to what he said, "This fossil contains a mysterious power, that might change the world of Pokémon. I will update more if I discovered something about this fossil."_**

 ** _He also said that this fossil should be about three years old when it was found, which is in the year 2011. The scientist also predicted that this fossil will only appear once every five years._**

 ** _A few weeks after the announcement about finding the fossil, the scientist went missing, leaving the mystery of the fossil unknown. This fossil was left behind by Thomas and it is now in the new museum in Mossdeep City._**

 _This man is... the one who found the fossil!_

 _That means... He knows what's behind the Fiery Fossil!_

 _What is Team Will going to do with it?_

* * *

 **And... Looks like I lied again!**

 **My passion towards writing is slowly coming back again, one week before my final exams too ;( My goal isn't that big, but I'll work harder after this. Next chapter though, is where everything would be revealed! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and see you next time :)**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the ambush?**

 **What is the secret behind the Fiery Fossil?**

 **What is going to happen between Azore and Lows?**


	44. Hoenn 38

**The gym leaders discussed together and decided to make an ambush towards the villain team. Everything was going perfectly, but the Team Will Boss, Azore took the fossil and ran away, activating his grand plan. Lows is searching for the missing boss, until he found a man, who was the scientist that knows about the power of the Fiery Fossil. After knowing the mystery of the Fiery Fossil, it was time for him to go up against Azore to stop this madness. What is going to happen between the two?**

 **Chapter 38 - The Mystery Behind the Fossil**

"I-I need to know what is behind the fossil? Why does he want it so badly? Are you the one behind this, too?!" I asked.

"H-Hey, don't include me in this madness! I was caught by him, and there's no other way I can do other than helping him!

H-He told me to find the mysterious power behind the Fiery Fossil. After three weeks of research, I finally know why he wanted that fossil. The power behind it... It can help him change the entire world into his!"

"What is the power behind it?! I need to know it, now!" I needed an answer to all of this.

"A-Alright! The mystery behind the Fiery Fossil... It can activate another evolution to certain Pokémon! The evolution is far more stronger than any evolution that were discovered today! It would be a horrendous power that can destroy everything!"

It was like a bang into my head. _Another evolution? Horrendous power that destroys everything? I must stop Azore from doing this! This is way out of control!_

I comforted Thomas Trecks, telling him that he will be saved soon. After that, I knew that I had to find him... and stop everything before he had that power activated. As I was about to continue searching, I heard other footsteps and turned around. It was Harry, gasping for air as he ran to me.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

"I heard everything you and that man said. That evolution just trembles me when I think about how strong it would be!"

"That's why... I have to stop him!"

"W-What?! Are you crazy? That's why I'm here. The gym leaders knew that it was a trap and didn't see you. I went back and looked for you. You need their help!"

"It's gonna be too late when they reached here! Someone has to waste his time before he activates the power! You should go back to inform them, while I go and stop him!"

"Are you sure? You're gonna be in big trouble!"

"Well, someone has to do the dirty work, right? I'll be fine, go inform the others!"

"...Humph, alright then. Don't try to be a hero and harm yourself. I'll be there as soon as possible." He returned his previous tone, but I knew his armor towards me was slowly disappearing.

"Let's stop this one and for all!" I smiled at him, before continuing my search to my main target. While searching for him, I suddenly found a ship in the hideout.

 _A ship? What is a ship doing here? Could he... be in there?_

Out of curiousity, I snuck into the ship, although I was all wet, I still succesfully snuck into it without anyone knowing. Out of the blue, the ship suddenly moved all on it's own towards the sea of Lilycove, making me shocked.

 _That means... Someone is in here! And I probably know who is it._

I slowly went up towards the board and hid myself to have a look towards it. Without a doubt, the boss was there, holding the fossil he just stole and walked towards his Pokémon, who I recognised as Alakazam, a Pokémon found in Kanto, my hometown.

"Finally... My grand plan can finally work, at long last. It is a lot of hard work to get you, you know? But now, I can finally activate your grand powers. Alakazam, absorb the power of this fossil!"

The fossil started to break apart as a bright yellow light shone through the board. The Alakazam suddenly transformed into something much larger than his previous appearance. The Alakazam gained a large white beard and its mustache became larger and white. The armor-like sections became bulkier, and its upper body section becoming slightly shorter to reveal its thin stomach. The head became diamond-shaped, but it kept its four spikes. Additionally, it gained a large, oval, red organ in the center of its forehead. Its lower legs became longer and slimmer and its feet become skinnier. It gained three additional spoons, which it levitated in the air.

 _So... this is the evolution Thomas Trecks was talking about... It definitely does not look good._

"Now, we shall change the world, starting right here, and right now!"

I knew I had to step up, so that was what I did. "No you're not, Azore!"

"What are you doing here?! I hate intruder trying to spoil my plan!"

"Because what you are doing isn't right! I have to stop you!"

"Oh, is that so?" He smirked as he commanded, "Alakazam, destroy him!"

I gritted my teeth as I took out a Pokéball. _I have to win this battle... This battle is the most important battle I should be having in my life..._

* * *

"Harry, are you sure that Lows was here?" Brawly said as they ran towards the last place Lows was seen.

"Y-Yeah, I'm sure of it!" Harry exclaimed to his father.

"Well, there's nothing here, except for an exit that leads to the sea... Sea! That's it! That must be where the boss is going!" Norman exclaimed.

"However, that means... Lows is alone with the boss!" Tate said, as everyone realised this dangerous fact. They looked at the sea, knowing that they had to take action, fast.

* * *

I gasped. _This evolution... is indeed strong. Thomas Trecks is definitely right..._

The evolved Alakazam already took out Ziggs, Power, Grace and Woody, yet it still wasn't tired at all. I looked at my two untouched Pokéballs. _Shadow and Surfer left... Let's see if Shadow can make a difference._

 _"_ Shadow, go!" I said as I threw her Pokéball. The new member appeared, although she said nothing, I could tell her nervousness through her expression.

"Y-You can do this, Shadow. Believe in yourself." Shadow nodded, although that didn't seem to work much.

 _Even I am starting to give up... I have to trust my team!_

"Shadow, use Night Slash!" Shadow nodded as she slashed the Alakazam with a dark power. Although it was super-effective, it didn't work much on the powerful Pokémon. The opponent responded with a Focus Blast attack.

"Shadow, watch out-" Before I reminded her, she set up a protective barrier, and it reflected the attack away from the Disaster Pokémon.

"That won't hold you long enough!"

"Long enough to take you down. Shadow, Night Slash!" While Shadow tried to attack the Alakazam as much as possible, the barrier finally broke as the attack broke through it and hit my new member. She was pushed back as she winced in pain. She knew that she could be down at any second.

"Shadow, Payback!" After taking another attack, Shadow was able to double the power of her dark type attack, and landing a critical hit thanks to her ability as well. However, the Alakazam still looked unfazed as he landed a final Focus Blast on my dark type. My dark type finally collapsed after all the damage taken from the powerful Pokémon.

"Good work, Shadow." I thanked her and returned her back to her Pokéball. That meant that I was down to one last Pokémon: Surfer.

 _I have to do this... This is my last chance._

"Surfer, let's ride the waves!" As I sent him out, it suddenly started raining. _Perfect... Maybe the can change the tides._

This time, Surfer was quiet. He knew that this was a serious battle, too.

"Surfer, Water Pulse!" With the increasing power due to the rain, a much more powerful water attack was formed, and the Alakazam finally started showing signs of tiredness.

"Alakazam, Psychic!" The Alakazam still released a much more powerful attack, as he used his psychic powers and threw Surfer to the air. Surfer fell on the board, wincing in pain.

"Surfer, let's do our best. Use Bite!" I knew a super-effective attack was necessary for this.

Surfer was able to bite his opponent, resulting the opponent cried in pain. However, the Alakazam was far from going down.

"Alakazam, Shadow Ball!" The Alakazam shot the shadow blob which seemed to be a lot stronger than Grace's. It was much faster too as it hit Surfer, which seemed to be in huge pain.

"Surfer, I'm sorry I brought you to this."

"I-It's okay. You're my trainer, aren't you? Let's ride the waves and do our best!"

"You got it! Surfer, use Water Gun!" Surfer sprayed his last bit of water to his huge opponent, which the boss responded with, "Alakazam, I'm tired of those games. Finish him off with Psychic!"

The evolved Alakazam nodded as it started to focus. Surfer was lifted up into the air, as the Alakazam tossed him offboard, as Surfer was thrown into the deep sea. I was shocked at what just happened before my very eyes.

"S-Surfer! No!" I turned to the Team Will Boss, "What did you do to him?!"

"I just threw him into the sea, no harm! We don't need intruders like you guys to stop our plans. Besides, you guys are just worthless people that try to be heroes! Nothing can stop me! Alakazam, attack this kid!" The Alakazam nodded as it started to attack me. I tried to withstand the pain, I didn't want to give up in front of this wicked person. However, I started to feel weak as I was slowly going down.

"Man, still trying? Just give up already!" The Team Will Boss smirked.

"I-I will never leave until you surrender! What you're doing is not the right thing!" I said, trying to get up from the floor but to no avail.

"Is that what you're going to say against a guy with such strong Pokémon, and with this condition?! Just give up!" Azore evilly said.

 _T-This is just like my dream..._ I thought back to when I dreamt about it in S.S. Hydro.

"I... I'll not give up!"

"Fine, you've forced me to do this! Use Psychic and control him!" I saw the Alakazam suddenly used its psychic powers and I couldn't control myself and floated in the air. I had no power to defend myself with a tired condition.

"Throw him into the sea!" The voice commanded, as the Pokémon nodded and threw me into the sea. The Team Will Boss smirked as he said, "Well, this annoying trainer is finally taken care of... Muahahahaha!"

* * *

I slowly sank into the sea, I couldn't swim back up with my condition. It was getting harder to breathe, as I thought about many things: how I started my journey, how I met my best friends along my journey, the tournaments I had participated... they were good memories, no doubt about it.

Suddenly, a song started playing inside my mind. It was that song. Downpour. The band's final song before disbanding. I had listened to it multiple times, and this had become my favourite song ever since. The song continued playing as my feelings came. I thought about the memories... with my beloved Pokémon. My mind went back to when I met all of them...

 _A red light beamed towards the ground, and inside the Pokéball was the Pokémon..._

 _Squirtle._

 _"I'll name you Surfer! Congratulations on being the first member, Surfer!" I exclaimed as the water type happily jumped again and again._

(P/S: You can start opening the song, Downpour by I.O.I to increase the feels ;))

 _i biga meori wiro ssodajimyeon_  
 _heumppeok jeotgo malgetjyo nae maeumdo_  
 _meomulleojwoyo ajikkajin geudae eobsi_  
 _na honja i bireul matgien_

 _ajik eorigo jogeum museowo_  
 _geumbang geuchil georangeol_  
 _ppeonhi da almyeonseodo geudael chatneyo_

(When this rain falls on my head  
I'll get all wet even my heart  
Stay with me I still can't be  
In the rain alone without you

I'm still young, I'm still a bit scared  
Though I know it'll stop soon  
I'm looking for you)

 _"Oh, is that so?" Saying that, I walked towards Zigzagoon and said, "I'm sorry, Harry, I'm the bad trainer you're talking about. Zigzagoon, wanna join my team? I would like you to give your best in my team."_

 _Zigzagoon's eyes sparkled at my invitation, and I threw a Pokéball at him. 1...2...3... Alright, Zigzagoon is caught with succession! So, I'll take that as a yes, Zigzagoon._

 _ije geuman da geuchilkka i bitmuldo_  
 _nae nunmuldo bie jeojeo_  
 _chuwie tteolgo sipjin anhayo jeongmal eonjengan_  
 _neomu chadichatdeon bitmuri_  
 _ttatteuthan nunmuri doeeo_  
 _heulleonaerigetjyo gwaenchanhayo_  
 _geumbang jinagal sonagijyo_

(Will it stop now? These raindrops, these tears?  
I don't want to get wet with rain  
And tremble with cold  
Some day, the cold rain  
Will become warm tears  
And fall down, It's alright  
It's just a passing downpour)

 _Just when we were upset and about to leave, I heard a weak voice calling us. "Sorry.. I just teleported away... Hope you don't mind..."_

 _I guess it sensed hostility when the guy came. "Don't worry Ralts, I just thought you didn't like me. Would you like to join me on adventures?"_

 _It nodded happily, and I threw a Pokéball and caught it. The Ralts is actually a female. No Gallade for me, but nevertheless, I'll definitely take good care of her._

 _I sent out Ralts and asked. "Would you like a nickname? How about... Grace?" The Feeling Pokémon nodded with happiness and said, "I like it a lot. Thanks, Master. I shall do my best at all causes." I smiled at her determination, and returned her to her Pokéball._

 _geunyang seuchyeo jinaganeun_  
 _sonagijyo geureon gamjwongijyo_  
 _na jeongmal geudaereul manna hangbokhaetdeon_  
 _manheun chueokdeureul bitmure irji anhayo_

 _naerineun biga geuchil ttaejjeume_  
 _geuttae dasi mannayo_  
 _uri dasi useumyeo hamkke isseulgeyo_

(It's just a passing downpour  
It's how I feel  
After I met you, I haven't lost  
The happy memories to the rain

When the rain stops  
Let's meet again  
We will smile again and be together)

 _After parting with Treecko, I asked Jasper, "Can...can I get a Pokémon here, Mr Jasper?"_

 _Jasper happily replied, "Sure! They would really like to be with a nice attitude trainer like you."_

 _Then, I went back to Treecko and asked, "Well, Treecko, you see, didn't I just told you about someone that definitely wants you?" He nodded in confusion._

 _"Well, I think the person is me. Do you want to join my team?" He gasped in surprise and happiness, and after a few seconds, he nodded his head with determination._

 _"Why don't I call you Woody, since you are a Wood Gecko Pokémon? I hope you like it." He nodded, agreeing my suggestion for his nickname. I threw my Pokéball and caught him._

 _ije geuman da geuchilkka i bitmuldo_  
 _nae nunmuldo bie jeojeo_  
 _chuwie tteolgo sipjin anhayo jeongmal eonjengan_  
 _neomu chadichatdeon bitmuri_  
 _ttatteuthan nunmuri doeeo_  
 _heulleonaerigetjyo gwaenchanhayo_  
 _geumbang jinagal sonagijyo_

(Will it stop now? These raindrops, these tears?  
I don't want to get wet with rain  
And tremble with cold  
Some day, the cold rain  
Will become warm tears  
And fall down, It's alright

It's just a passing downpour)

 _Just when he is about to leave the PokéCentre, I yelled, "Machop, wait! I have something to tell you."_

 _Machop turned his head and asked, "What's... what's wrong, Lows?"_

 _I took a deep breath and asked him, "Machop... would you like to join my team?"_

 _Machop immediately asked in confusion, "Why... why, Lows? I'm just weak and hates battling..."_

 _"I know that you hate battling with Harry, but I know that you can be a strong Pokémon. Why don't you try to battle with me and see how it goes? I will try my best to be responsible as a trainer to raise you well."_

 _After thinking of my suggestion and Ziggs' words, he finally nodded. "I... I would like to try in your team, Lows."_

 _I nodded and asked, "Why don't I call you Power? I think it would suit you." He nodded, liking his new nickname while I threw a Pokéball and yelled, "Welcome to the team, Power!"_

 _jigeumeun heumppeok jeojeogagoman itjyo_  
 _usaneul pil himjocha eomneyo_  
 _hajiman urin arayo_  
 _jamsiman ulgeyo bitmure gidaeeo_  
 _uriui seulpeun nunmureul_  
 _geudaega boji mothage_

('m getting all wet right now  
I don't even have the strength to open an umbrella  
But we know  
Let me just cry for a moment  
As I lean on the rain  
So you won't see our sad tears)

 _"Absol, wait!" I said as I ran back to her. The Absol was surprised to see me running back._

 _"Do you have any interest... to conquer the obstacles with me?" I asked, but she didn't seem to get the meaning behind it._

 _"What I mean is... Do you want to join the team? I think you would be the perfect choice." The Absol didn't respond, but I could see her eyes sparkling to my suggestion._

 _"I'll take that as a yes. I'll name you Shadow, alright?" I said as I took out a Pokéball and threw it towards her, "Let's fight together, Shadow!"_

 _The Absol let herself caught and she was caught successfully. I picked up the Pokéball as a smile went to my face._

I smiled. These memories will always be the best memories I ever had in my life, and I knew it all along.

 _Thanks, everyone. If there's a chance again, I would always want to be your trainer. Thank you all for everything._

My vision slowly turned black as the last chorus ended...

 _uri ije annyeong_

 _ije geuman da geuchilkka i bitmuldo_  
 _nae nunmuldo bie jeojeo_  
 _chuwie tteolgo sipjin anhayo jeongmal eonjengan_  
 _neomu chadichatdeon bitmuri_  
 _ttatteuthan nunmuri doeeo_  
 _heulleonaerigetjyo gwaenchanhayo_  
 _geumbang jinagal sonagijyo_

(Now goodbye

Will it stop now? These raindrops, these tears?  
I don't want to get wet with rain  
And tremble with cold  
Some day, the cold rain  
Will become warm tears  
And fall down, It's alright  
It's just a passing downpour)

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! What is going to happen to Lows? Find out next time ;)**

 **Also, the song is actually real. Go search on wherever you like: I.O.I - Downpour. It is actually their last song before disbandment, which is quite a long story of how that happened. The song really crushed me for many months, and I thought this would be the perfect time to use this song. Perhaps, you can play the song while reading this again to increase the feels if you didn't do so ;)**

 **Enjoy this chapter and I'll see you next time :)**

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Wartortle, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Bite, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Sand Tomb**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Headbutt, Swift, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Teleport, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Fling, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **What was the evolution that the Fiery Fossil triggered?**

 **What is going to happen to Lows?**


	45. Hoenn 39

**Lows was forced to handle the Team Will Boss, Azore alone after getting on the ship that Azore used to leave the hideout. The mystery of the Fiery Fossil was finally revealed, triggering a special evolution for Azore's Alakazam. The special evolution was too hard to be defeated, as Lows was unable to take the Alakazam down using all his Pokémon. As a result, the Team Will Boss commanded his powerful Alakazam to throw him into the sea after attacking him, resulting in Lows' fate being unknown. What is going to happen to the trainer?**

 **Chapter 39 - Aftermath**

As I opened my eyes, I saw everything around me was white. I started to fear as I knew that my life could be over. Suddenly, a weird figure came towards me. I looked closer and it looked like an angel.

It walked towards me as it said, "I hope you learnt a lot from your journey. However, I knew you did. Your care towards your team is undeniable, you learnt to take things slow, and many more."

As I thought back the figure's words, it suddenly said its last words, "I hope you will always remember every second of your time as a trainer. Goodbye..."

I was going to ask it the meaning behind those words, but darkness covered me again. I tried my best to open my eyes, but what appeared in front of my was another background. Sure, I saw white again at first, but I saw people and Pokémon around me after looking around.

 _T-That means..._

Suddenly, one of the people noticed that I was awake and yelled, "He woke up, he woke up!"

Some of the people woke up as they examined me. They were happy and relieved as they started hugging me.

"A-Ah! T-Thanks, but it hurts!" I said as I started to feel the pain.

"O-Oh, sorry! We were so happy, that we forgot that you were injured!" They said as they backed off. They are the gym leaders of the Hoenn region.

"W-What happened? I thought I was dead right there..."

"Well, that's what we thought at first, too. Until..." Winona said as she started the story...

* * *

"Well, this annoying trainer is finally taken care of... Muahahahaha!" The Team Will Boss laughed as he turned to the Alakazam, "Now, we shall start our plans... to change the entire world into ours!"

The Alakazam nodded as the boss evilly grinned at their upcoming future plans. However, the dreams were all crushed when he heard someone came.

He knew that it was going to be a gym leader. If it's one of them, his Alakazam definitely still had the power to take down the Pokémon. However, he was shocked to see four gym leaders riding on different water Pokémon as they hopped into the ship.

 _This evolution is capable of everything... right?_ He thought he still had a chance as he said, "Bring it on! My Alakazam shall destroy you!"

"Friends, let's send out our Pokémon and take this Alakazam down!" The other three nodded as they sent out many Pokémon. All strong, skillful and more than willing to end this for the safety of the region.

The Team Will Boss was shocked, he commanded the Alakazam to attack all of them, but the Alakazam couldn't attack them all at once. The other Pokémon however, they released their attacks almost at the same time, as the powerful Pokémon were finally unable to withstand the damage after the battle with Lows' Pokémon. It collapsed on the ground, leaving the Team Will Boss shocked.

"N-No way! The scientist said it could destroy... everything!"

"Looks like you overestimated its power, then. However... no matter how strong a force is, with teamwork, we can achieve anything we want!"

"Welp, looks like it's time for me to go-" He wanted to take out another Smoke Ball and leave like he always do, but his actions was interrupted by a Surf attack right at his face. He fell on the ground, and he suddenly heard the sirens. Approaching his ship were policemen riding on speedboats, ready to arrest this wrongdoer.

"Hey, Steven called them just in time." Roxanne sighed in relief as the policemen went on board and used handcuffs to lock the boss' hands. The evolved Alakazam however, took them a long time to be caught and sent to an unknown place.

"W-Wait! Where's Lows?!"

"Oh, that annoying trainer? Threw him into the sea! No harm." The boss evilly grinned before getting sent to one of the speedboats.

"You monster!" Harry roared as he turned to the gym leaders, "We have to find him!"

The gym leaders nodded as Wallace called his water Pokémon. He was about to command them to dive in underwater to search for the lost trainer. However, a sight surprised the gym leaders.

They saw a water type Pokémon floating on the sea, and the boy on it was no other than Lows.

They went towards him and checked. He was unconscious, but he was still alive.

They smiled, knowing that the trainer is going to live longer than he expected and continue his journey as a trainer.

* * *

"Oh, so this is what happened..." I said, still shocked from the plot twist.

"Yeah, they also informed us that the Alakazam was sent to a lab to examine what powers affected it to trigger another evolution."

"Also, your friend is safe, and he wanted to visit you after he got his last badge." Roxanne added.

"I see..." I suddenly thought about a Pokémon and became worried, "S-Surfer! Where's Surfer?!"

"Well..." The gym leader suddenly smirked as she said, "As I told you, a Pokémon floated on the sea and saved you..."

"Yeah? How is that related to anything?"

"The Pokémon... is a Blastoise."

"S-So?! Where is Surfer?" I was so worried about Surfer, I didn't have time to think about what Winona said. Then, a familiar yet strange voice appeared, "L-Lows..."

I turned around, and I saw a Blastoise smiling, "I-I'm glad you're okay."

Does that mean... I locked eyes with the Blastoise as I said in curiosity, "S-Surfer?"

"Yeah... It's me. I wasn't strong enough to save you, and an energy made me evolved and I was strong enough to save you.

My tears dropped as I touched him. I couldn't say anything but I said inside my heart...

 _S-Surfer... Thank you so much. You saved my life._

"However... There was one thing I was curious about." He suddenly made a worried expression, "Did I become uglier, Lows? Huh? Tell me! The other gym leaders didn't want to tell me about it!"

"O-Oh, Surfer... You look great just the way you are." I chuckled as the gym leaders and Pokémon laughed, as a happy atmosphere surrounded the hospital room.

* * *

After talking for a while, a doctor suddenly walked towards us and asked, "Is this patient Lows Landerson?"

I nodded as the doctor continued, "You are currently a trainer participating for the Hoenn League?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Due to your condition, it is going to take a long time for you to recover. Therefore, I don't think you're going to have enough time to get the rest of your badges before the league starts. I'm sorry."

I was shocked, but I knew I have to accept it. "Y-Yeah. I understand. It's okay."

However, Wally stepped up and insisted, "Hey, you can't just give up like that! There is something that we can do, right, gym leaders?"

"There is actually something we can do about it, but we needed the PLA's permission." Wallace said as he contacted the PLA. After that, he told us PLA's decision.

"I told them about your condition. They allowed us to give you badges without any battles, but one of the three badges must be earned through winning a battle against the gym leader."

"I understand. However, can I choose the gym leader that I want to battle?"

"I suppose you can. Who do you want to battle?"

"Well, this is always my choice," I looked at my gym leader friend, "I wanna battle Wally for my last badge."

"Alright then." The water type gym leader said as he took out a badge and handed it to me, "A trainer who was willing to sacrifice himself to save the world and his friend... I'm more than happy to give you this badge. However, I hope we can have some practice battles outside the hospital."

"Sure thing. Thanks, Wallace." I said as I inspected the Rain Badge and put it into my Badge Case.

"And... we present to you this! We would also like to have a psychic type battle here with your Kirlia. She looks graceful!" Tate said as her sister nodded, and my Kirlia bowed to them as a way of thanking them.

"Let's do it!" I chuckled as I put the Mind Badge into the case too. Now, I only needed the one last badge: the Various Badge.

"The last challenge is me, Wally the Lilycove Gym Leader. I use various Pokémon types to battle. I hope to see you at the Lilycove Gym."

"You bet, Wally! I'm going to fulfill that promise!"

"I'm glad that you will. Hopefully, I'll see you as soon as possible."

My sister suddenly hit his back, "Wally, you better be careful when battling! Your asthma might attack you again."

"Charmaine, didn't I tell you? It's just the excessive smoke that made my asthma came back. I'm completely fine-"

"And then you're going to say, 'I'm older than you, you don't need to worry about me.' Yeah, yeah, I will not do that again!"

"Well, that's true..."

"Hey, you two..." Roxanne examined her friend and the Lilycove Gym Leader, "Are you... a couple?"

The two blushed red as they said together, "W-What are you talking about?"

"You two had been so close together for a few months already! It's hard to believe you two don't have something." The rock type gym leader smirked.

"N-Nah! We're nothing."

"Don't lie! Haha! I knew you are lying from the way you act!" Roxanne laughed as the two remained silent, admitting their relationship.

 _Hmm... Sis is in a relationship with Wally? Well... I actually kinda like it._

"Don't tell anyone about it!" Charmaine hit her friend's shoulder.

"Well... All the gym leaders are here. Besides that, no one!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"Ah, great!" She then turned to me and said, "Well, little bro... I hope you don't mind."

"Nah, I accept it! Wally is a nice guy, after all."

"Y-You really think so?"

"Of course! Have a good one, sis."

"Thanks, little bro." We held hands as we smiled, as the gym leaders awed at the scene. Wally was just there, giving us an embarrassed smile.

* * *

After a few hours, the gym leaders left, leaving me and my Pokémon alone. Before they left, they promised that they wouldn't tell this incident to anyone. I didn't want my parents to get worried.

It was already night time, and I was just looking at the stars outside the windows as I thought about the incident.

 _I really thought I would never see my Pokémon and friends anymore... But I'm glad I survived. I'm going to cherish every moment of my journey._

"Hey, you guys come here." I said as the six Pokémon came.

"I knew you all are scared from the incident. I apologize for that. I hope we can move on and have a better journey. Thank you all so much for helping me out there."

They nodded as they gratefully hugged me softly, knowing my condition. I hugged them back as we went to sleep in a happy mood.

* * *

The next three weeks were just the normal hospital life: sleep, eat, rest... I knew my Pokémon were bored, but I couldn't let them go out much with my condition. At least the gym leaders came here and visited us sometimes, like Wallace, Tate and Liza and more. My Pokémon were able to play and train with the others and most of them even learned new moves. For example, Surfer's moves got a huge boost, Power felt like he didn't need a heavy object on him anymore, and he learnt another move instead. The same goes to Grace and Woody.

Ziggs worked the hardest, and he was finally able to fix his problems and learn not just a new move, but two. He worked very hard to master those moves, and when he did, we both cheered in unison. I believed that those moves would be quite useful for the Rushing Pokémon. Shadow didn't learn new moves, but I knew that she needed time. So far, the team was looking solid.

Steven came and visited us too. However, he didn't talk much, but I knew he had something he wanted to tell me in his mind. I didn't complain though, having him visiting me was already a bonus.

Stone and Kyla visited me too. They apologized to me about what they did back then in Petalburg. After listening to their story, I understood their situation and forgave them. I remembered when I said I forgave them, May was there cheering loudly, but immediately became silent after realising that she was in a hospital.

That day was just a normal day: I lied on the hospital bed, bored. I checked on the news through my Pokégear App as I got to know what happened around the world.

 _Hmm... So Team Will was disbanded after the boss got arrested. The grunts were also caught for further investigation. Peggy though, he is still nowhere to be found..._

 _The lasers in the Mirage Tower were removed... And Devon is currently in charge of taking care the Legendaries' paintings on the wall to enhance their "Legendary Tracker" product. Nice..._

I was focused on news that I was interested, until my Pokémon asked, "Lows, can we go out and have some fresh air?" They are Grace and Shadow, who became friends during the hospitalization period.

"Sure!" After getting my permission, they quickly ran away, making me and the male Pokémon confused.

* * *

"I wonder why are they in such a hurry." The newly evolved Blastoise started the conversation.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter to us anyway." Power shrugged.

"But hey, since the girls had left... Why don't we talk about how do we think of the girls?" Surfer enthusiastically asked.

"Well, I don't see why not. Shadow is quiet yet sincere to the members. She is different compared to all the members in our team." Ziggs remarked.

"I agree. She shows her sincerity through her actions. Like yesterday, I wanted a training partner to practice. She just nodded at me and we practiced battling. She was always there to help us." Power said.

"I see. What about you, Woody?"

"H-Huh? I... I don't have many opinions with Shadow... I don't talk to her that much."

"What about Grace?" Ziggs playfully asked.

"S-She's a nice Pokémon... I liked talking to her and train with her. She is a great partner."

The blush on his face was too noticeable for the other three Pokémon. They looked at him as Surfer remarked, "Why are you blushing so much?"

"O-Oh, am I? I... I don't know..."

"Well, you two had been pretty close together during our journey. I think... you have a crush on her." Surfer told his friend.

"W-What are you talking about? That's not true!" The Wood Gecko Pokémon quickly explained.

"From what I see, Grace definitely likes you. She is always calm, but she only lose her calmness when she is with you. You train with her, cheered for each other and did so many things with her."

"N-Nah, she wouldn't like me." The grass type said before looking down to the floor while he whispered to himself, "She is a great Pokémon... She should be liking someone that's so much better than me."

He sighed while the other three smirked, knowing their friend's feelings towards the psychic type.

* * *

After running out of the room, the Absol curiously looked at her new friend.

Grace knew she had to express her feelings to someone. This problem had been affecting her for quite a long time, and she knew Shadow is a great listener even though she doesn't talk much.

"S-Shadow. You see, it's about Woody." She then started talking about what happened between her and Woody throughout this journey.

"... I am confused! I don't know how I feel towards him. What do you think it is, Shadow?"

The Absol thought for a moment before saying three words, "You like him."

"W-Wha...?" She wanted to ask the Absol what she meant, but she knew that Shadow won't talk anymore.

 _I-I like him?_

"E-Even if I like him, he wouldn't feel the same towards me. We are different types, different species, different natures... I wouldn't know if we fit!"

"It doesn't matter."

"Huh?" She needed to think about her words for a while.

 _If I like him... I knew I have to tell him eventually. Shadow said... it doesn't matter that we are different, if the feelings we have are the same, who cares about it?_

 _I'm going to tell him when the right time comes..._

"Thanks, Shadow." She said as she walked back into the room. The Absol stared at the door and grinned. It would be nice for her to see a relationship bloom in the team...

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Kirlia, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Magical Leaf, Shadow Ball, Psybeam**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of how Lows got rescued? (I got inspired by something ;))**

 **When will Grace and Woody tell each other about their feelings?**

 **How will Lows do against Wally after he recovers?**


	46. Hoenn 40

**After getting thrown into the sea, Lows was rescued by his starter, Surfer who evolved into a Blastoise in order to save his trainer. Lows only needed to battle one gym leader instead of three due to his condition. At the other side, Woody and Grace both have feelings for each other, but they knew it wasn't the right time to express their feelings yet. After a month of recovery, Lows was finally able to walk and he was certain that he will get the last gym badge before the league starts. Will he be able to get the last badge from Wally?**

 **Chapter 40 - Variable Situations**

The doctor happily announced, "After a month of recovery, you are finally able to at least walk with crutches. Come and try it out!"

"Alright then," I said as I readied myself to try the crutches out, "here I go!"

It was tough at first, but I knew I had to get used to it for a while. Slowly but surely, I tried to take one step at a time and be patient.

"You're doing great, you just need more practice." The doctor happily remarked, "You should go and take some rest before moving on."

"I can still practice..."

"Your legs still haven't fully recovered yet. Therefore, it's best for you to not overwork your legs for too long."

"A-Alright then." I groaned, but I knew I shouldn't be rushing. But the league was going to start in just a week, and I was starting to get worried.

"Are you worried about your gym battle, Lows?" The doctor knew what I was thinking as he suggested, "Maybe you can battle the gym leader with a wheelchair. That would work too, although it may be a disadvantage for you."

"I'll consider it. Thanks, Doctor!" I happily took the suggestion as the doctor left. I then started to think how I should challenge Wally.

 _Hmm... It's best if I can walk properly again. However, I knew it will take time... However, there's not much time left for me to get the last gym badge, so I have to make a decision fast!_

After reconsidering, I called the doctor and asked, "Actually, can you show me the wheelchair?"

* * *

Two days had past and I knew it was time for me to take the challenge. My Pokémon were eager to battle again after such a long time. However, it was a three on three single battles, so I knew I couldn't use them all. I called Wally two days ago, informing that I would be at his gym for the battle that day. I needed a plan fast.

"Shadow, you will definitely be battling for this time, this is the only time you can get experience." Shadow nodded, she was excited but nervous to have her first gym battle.

I then turned to Grace, "Grace, you haven't been battling in gyms twice in a row, so I think you should step up too. Do you agree with that?"

"Yeah, I agree with that. I'll do my best, Lows." She calmly replied.

"That leaves one more Pokémon for the battle." I turned to the male Pokémon and asked, "Any volunteers?"

Immediately, I saw all four of them wanting to battle through their actions.

 _Ah, great..._

"Looks like it's up to me to decide. I'll have to do it fast, too. Surfer could be a huge boost for this battle, while Power needs more experience. Ziggs and Woody, I think you two already did a lot for the battles, so you two can rest."

Woody and Ziggs sighed in disappointment, but I knew that they understood my decision. Power then said, "Why don't Surfer battle? I think I already learnt a lot, and we needed this badge right away."

"Surfer, do you think you can battle?"

"For sure, Lows! Brave the waves is what we do!" He apparently changed his usual saying too.

"No more, 'ride the waves and win'?" Ziggs teased.

"Hey! You know that it's time for a change!" The Blastoise exclaimed, while we burst into laughter. Things had changed, but our bond would never change...

* * *

 **A few hours later...**

"Are you guys ready for the battle?" I asked.

"Well, we did some short training that warmed us up, so it should be fine." Surfer said.

"That's good. Let's go and win our last badge!" I started moving the wheelchair I was sitting. I had some hard time moving it, and my Pokémon wanted to help, but I insisted at first, "I can do this, don't worry about it."

"It would take us a long time, though! Let us help you!" Ziggs blurted.

"Ziggs!" Power glared at my normal type as he said, "He didn't mean to be offensive. We just want to offer you help! You seemed to be having trouble with it."

"I understand, Ziggs didn't mean anything bad. Well, it is going to take me a long time, so... go for it!" I finally accepted their help, which Power pushed the wheelchair as we happily reached our destination. Right when I opened the door, Wally was already there waiting for me. He knew my condition, so he wanted to help me out.

"Let me help you to the battlefield." Wally offered.

"Sure, thanks Wally!" I accepted the offer, while Power, Woody and Ziggs went to the arena seat to watch our gym battle that could be our final one for the Hoenn League.

"I won't go easy on you though," Wally said as he pushed my wheelchair towards the battlefield, "I hope you're ready!"

"You bet! I've been waiting for this battle for a long time." I happily replied as he pushed me to a side where I could watch the condition of the entire battlefield. He then went to the other side as the referee came to the middle.

"This battle between the challenger, Lows Landerson and the gym leader, Wally will be a three on three single battles format. The challenger is allowed to have the first move and switch his Pokémon. The trainer that takes down the opponent's three Pokémon is the winner of the battle. Do you agree to the rules, Lows Landerson from Kanto?"

"Yes, let's start the battle!" I excitedly replied.

"Alright then. The battle between Lows and Wally will now begin! Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"

"Have the most fun of it, Shadow!" I threw the first Pokéball of the day, and the Absol appeared to be nervous through her expression.

"Shadow, this is your first battle, just have the most fun of it! Don't pressure yourself too much, we can always try again." Shadow nodded to my words as her expression turned into a determined one. I knew she was ready when I saw the change on her expression.

"Let's start the show, Boltz!" He said as he sent out his first Pokémon. Its body is wide and circular, similar to a disc or saucer, with a thin edge circling the diameter of its body. Om each side of it's body, it has a ball shaped addition, with each side containing an eye, horseshoe magnet, and Philips head screw. On top of its head is a tall, thin, yellow rod, closely resembling an antenna. Behind its body is a third horseshoe magnet, positioned like a tail.

[Magnezone, the Magnet Area Pokémon. It is the final evolution of Magnemite. It evolved from exposure to a special magnetic field. Three units generate magnetism.]

 _So this is one of the new Pokémon..._

"The battle between Shadow and Boltz will now begin!"

"Shadow, Night Slash!" I knew that Shadow could land the first hit with her speed: I just needed to know if she was able to dodge the attack too.

"Boltz, fight through the pain and use Tri Attack!" As Shadow was able to land the first slash successfully, the Magnezone didn't make a cry and went for the beam attack. I could see that Shadow was unable to dodge them all.

That's it! "Shadow, stop the attacks with Protect!"

Shadow nodded as she quickly formed the barrier which absorbed the three beams before breaking down. It was just enough for the both of us, though.

"Not bad. But we can't step down just yet! Boltz, use Thunderbolt around the field!"

The bolts of lightning striked around the battlefield, forcing the Absol to dodge all of them. She was used to these dodging practice, however what we didn't know was Wally was planning for something big. Slowly without us noticing, Shadow was at the middle of the battlefield, nowhere to run from the thunderbolts.

"Now! Boltz, focus on Shadow with Flash Cannon!" The Magnezone started charging up light and formed a poweful beam. Once it was ready, it shot the beam right at the Absol, pushing the dark type back to where she started. She started panting: she knew it wasn't an easy job.

"We can't give up! Shadow, Payback!" I knew this move was the most suitable after she got hit. And the move appeared to be stronger as the Absol released her stored power to her foe.

"Alright, Boltz is done playing games with you! Boltz, Volt Switch!" The Magnezone suddenly became a yellow light as it travelled by and hit Shadow before it travelled back into its Pokéball.

 _Now we have the disadvantage..._

"It's time to have some fun, Blade!" He said as he threw his main Pokémon's Pokéball. The Gallade appeared and he apparently still remembered me, as he nodded to me as a way of greeting. I nodded back as Wally commanded, "Blade, let's finish Shadow off with Close Combat!"

 _T-That fast...? I need to reduce the impact of this attack!_

"Shadow, Protect!" Although tired, she formed the barrier but the Gallade kept on breaking through the barrier. The barrier started to break as I knew it won't hold much longer.

Shadow needed to do something before the game ended. I commanded, "Shadow, don't be afraid and use Psycho Cut!"

Shadow nodded, knowing what she had to do and as the barrier finally broke, she was able to land the hit first with the psychic attack. The Gallade was caught off guard but he quickly responded with the powerful punch. Shadow was hit into the air as she went down to the ground and collapsed.

"Shadow is unable to battle! Blade wins!"

I couldn't run to her with my wheelchair, as I slowly went beside her and petted her, "You did well for your first time. Let's do better next time. Thanks for your effort." The Absol gave me a fainted smile before getting sent back into the Pokéball.

 _Alright, who should be next... Wally might return Blade due to his defense being lower after the attack... It's a risky pick, but I have to do it._

"Let's strike, Surfer!" As I sent out my newly evolved starter, Wally was throwing his next Pokéball after returning Blade for a quick rest.

The next Pokémon is a strong Pokémon, but it could be just what I wanted: A dragon and ground type Pokémon.

[Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon. It is the final evolution of Gible. When it folds up its body and extends its wings, it looks like a jet plane. It flies at sonic speed.]

 _I knew this Pokémon, and it could be just perfect for an Ice Beam attack! I just hope that Wally doesn't know Surfer's moves..._

"The battle between Surfer and Rampage will now begin!"

I knew I had to find a way to distract the Garchomp, so I commanded, "Aqua Tail, Surfer!"

"Rampage, dodge and use Crunch!" The Garchomp was able to dodge the attack as he ran and jumped towards my starter.

 _Now is the time!_ "Surfer, Ice Beam directly to Rampage's face!"

"Right on, Lows!" Surfer said as he released the ice type attack to his opponent. It was too late for the Garchomp to back off as it got hit by the super-effective attack. That move definitely was worth it.

"Ah, great! Never knew you have that move on Surfer. But we can't give up yet! Earthquake, full power!"

"Counter with Surf!" The water type made a huge wave towards Rampage as it was forced to make the huge quake before the wave wiped it out. Surfer was slightly affected by the quake, but it was nothing compared to the damage the dragon type took. It didn't take long before the Garchomp collapsed after that powerful ice type move took a huge toll on Rampage.

"Rampage is unable to battle! Surfer wins!"

 _Maybe this battle isn't so bad for us..._

"Nice try, Rampage." Wally said before returning the fainted Pokémon. As he took another Pokéball, he said, "Let's go in, Boltz!"

The Magnezone was back into the battlefield as the referee announced, "The battle between Surfer and Boltz will now begin!"

I knew I couldn't use water type moves, as water would make electric type moves even more horrendous. "Surfer, Iron Defense!"

"Boltz, Thunderbolt!" As Surfer's shell glowed silver, meaning that its defense became stronger, the Magnezone was already releasing its attack. The defensive move reduced the impact, but he was still greatly harmed from the super-effective attack.

"This couldn't take any longer... Surfer, let's try the Surf and Aqua Tail combo!" Surfer nodded as he released a Surf attack first. He then jumped towards the Magnezone as he readied his tail to attack the opponent.

Boltz was getting ready to dodge the Surf attack. However, when Surfer appeared, that was when it was caught off guard. It accidentally released a Tri Attack which was launched at the wrong direction. The combo worked well as my starter hit the electric type with his tail and the waves made the situation even better for us.

"Ah... mistakes are made! Boltz, one last attack! Thunderbolt, full power!"

"Surfer, time to end it off! Surf!" Surfer nodded as he sent the waves to the tired electric type. However, it was able to send its final electric type attack to the water type before collapsing. What was even worse was, sparks started to emit from Surfer's body.

 _Paralysis... Not at this time!_

"Boltz is unable to battle! Surfer wins!"

"Oh, a consolation prize. Good work, Boltz." Wally returned his second Pokémon before sending out his main Pokémon. "Let's change this situation, Blade!"

The Gallade appeared again, ready to make this game possible for the gym leader.

"The battle between Surfer and Blade will now begin!"

"Surfer, hold on! Surf!"

As Surfer summoned the waves to the psychic and fighting type, Wally commanded, "Blade, hit the waves back with Psycho Cut!"

As Blade succeeded in doing that, the waves were unable to damage the Gallade. After that, Wally commanded, "Let's finish this off fast. Use Leaf Blade!"

"Leaf Blade?!" I never knew that a Gallade could learn a grass type move. It was too late for me to react when the Gallade slashed the water type with the sharf leaf blade, hitting the water type with no sweat. Surfer was finally down after three long-fought battles.

"Surfer is unable to battle! Blade wins!"

"Surfer, you did a great job. Thanks for your help. Grace will take care the rest."

"Y-Yeah..." I petted him as I returned the Blastoise, as I took out my last Pokéball and stared at it.

 _Grace, it's all up to you..._

"Do your best, Grace!" I threw my final Pokéball with my full strength. The Kirlia appeared while staring at her male counterpart evolution.

"The final battle between Grace and Blade will now begin!"

"Grace, Calm Mind!" I knew I had to make her moves stronger first to have a chance against the beast. She focused as her eyes turned red, as she appeared to become stronger after the charge-up.

"Blade, use Rock Slide!" Blade summoned the rockslide towards my psychic type as I commanded her to dodge, however, the rockslide was way too fast as she got hit by some of them. She still wasn't giving up. She knew she had to win this duel.

"Grace, send a small Magical Leaf attack!"

"That's definitely not going to stop us. Blade, dodge and dash forward to use Leaf Blade!"

 _Now!_ "Grace, quickly recharge and use Shadow Ball!" Grace was able to send out the blob and hit the rushing Gallade, but the Gallade ignored the pain and slashed her with the sharp leaf. Grace was not the best at taking physical attacks, as she fell onto the ground in pain. However, she didn't want to give up. This battle was far from ending just yet.

"I love your determination, Grace. Let's do our best! Psybeam!"

However, when she wanted to charge for the move, the familiar white light surrounded her as she floated into the air. When the process ended, her appearance became more gorgeous as she landed gracefully. She became a humanoid Pokémon as her body resembles a flowing gown. Most of her body is white, but her hair, arms, and the underside of its gown are green. Her hair curls over her face and down the sides of its head. Behind her red eyes are short spikes, resembling a masquerade mask. She has long arms with three fingers on each hand and slender white legs. A red, fin-like horn extends from her chest, and a shorter, more rounded horn extends from the back. A band of green on its chest extends to the center of the front horn and connects to its sleeve-like arms.

"I'm ready to continue this battle!" She said as she tried charging for a Psybeam attack, but what instead came out of her was a Psychic attack. I was amazed of her sudden evolution as I scanned the newly evolved Pokémon.

[Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon. It is the final evolution of Ralts. It has the power to predict the future. Its power peaks when it is protecting it's Trainer.]

 _I wonder what moves she learned..._ I thought as I scrolled through the Pokédex.

 _Thunderbolt and Psychic replaced Magical Leaf and Psybeam... This is a great boost!_

"Well, the timing is terrible for me today," The gym leader sighed as he said, "can't give up yet! Blade, Psycho Cut!"

"Grace, Psychic!" Grace said as her psychic powers slightly defeated the Gallade's. The evolution helped the psychic type move hit her foe. However, from the damage taken before, Grace started to show signs of tiredness. Blade was showing the same signs too for the same reasons.

 _Now, the situation is variable for anyone!_

"Last resort! Blade, Close Combat!" Wally knew he needed a fast push for victory.

"Grace, stop him with Thunderbolt!" Grace nodded as she started to shoot the bolts of lightning. However, she couldn't control it right as the bolts missed the Gallade.

"Grace, calm down and focus on the target! You can do it!" Grace focused as she locked on the Gallade and shot the last bolt with full power. At last, the bolt was able to hit the Gallade, pushing him back and made the beast fainted after fighting hard.

"Blade is unable to battle! Grace wins! The winner is Lows Landerson, the challenger from Kanto!" I was going to stand up and cheer, but I was on a wheelchair. I saw Grace starting to collapse and asked, "Grace, you okay?"

"I'm fine... Guess I need to control my psychic powers a bit though."

"Yeah, but you did well. Have a good rest." I chuckled as I returned the psychic type. Wally walked towards me and said, "Well, that is one of the best battles I had in a while. The timing really helped you out, though."

"Gotta agree with that." I chuckled.

"But still, you battled with all your heart out, I can really feel it at the other side. Here you go, here's the Various Badge!" He said, handing me a badge with three different types carved on it: Psychic, Dragon and Electric.

"Thanks! Now I can finally qualify for the league!" I exclaimed.

"I'll be looking forward to that," He said as he shook my hand, "I hope you do well."

"Thanks!" I smiled as I thought, _I can finally do this! This is insane, but I actually did it! Hoenn League, here I come!_

* * *

"Wow... What's with all the snacks?!" Surfer asked when he saw the snacks on the table two hours after dinner.

"I was going to cook, but I couldn't cook with this condition. Anyways... I bought these to celebrate that we can finally join the Hoenn League!" The Pokémon cheered silently as I offered them the snacks. We talked about the things we did during our journey while watching some TV. It was a good day that we would never forget.

* * *

"G-Grace? What are you doing?" Woody said while he saw the Gardevoir looking outside the window instead of talking to the others.

"Oh, hey Woody. I'm just looking at the stars outside. They look amazing tonight, don't you think?"

Woody stared at the bright stars and exclaimed, "Yeah... You're right."

"I remember when I was just a Ralts, I used to watch the stars in Petalburg. Watching the stars always make my heart comfortable."

The Grovyle looked at her. She looked so gorgeous, both the inside and the outside. She has a good personality, and she is always nice to everyone. Woody couldn't help but blushed when he thought about his times with her.

 _I-I wonder if I could tell her how I feel..._

"Y-You're so beauti-" He almost blurted out his words inside his heart, but he stopped just in time when he realized what he was saying.

Grace just continued looking at the sky while saying, "The stars do look beautiful tonight. I'm glad I can see them with you." She apparently interpreted his words into the wrong meaning.

Woody sighed in relief as he nervously chuckled, "S-So do I... So do I."

They both looked at the stars without saying a word, with their personal thoughts in their minds.

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the battle? Who is the MVP of the battle this time?**

 **How will Lows do in the Hoenn League?**


	47. Hoenn 41

**Lows was finally able to battle the last gym leader, Wally after one month of recovery. After a bunch of close calls between him and the various types specialist, Lows was able to defeat Wally thanks to Grace's evolution into a Gardevoir. Another week had past and Lows was doing perfect with his leg recovery, making him able to reach his destination: Ever Grande City for the Hoenn League. What is going to happen in his first league as a trainer?**

 **Chapter 41 - The First Step**

A week after I obtained the final badge, it was time for the registration for the Hoenn League. I was still at the hospital, waiting for the doctor. The doctor later arrived to send me the news.

"It seems like you've been working hard with your leg recovery." He remarked.

"Yeah, I want to participate in the Hoenn League!"

"And... the result is quite shown with the report. You can probably walk normally again, but you still have to be careful. Your injury might be back if you make a large movement." He happily said.

"Thanks! I can't wait to go for the Hoenn League."

"You better be hurry though, I heard that the registration ends in about five hours."

"Oh, really?! Thanks, I have to go now!" I bowed to the doctor as I started walking out of the hospital. The movement I made was slow, but I knew I shouldn't be walking too fast to make my condition worse.

After quite some walking, I reached the place where I was going to take the boat to where the tournament take place: Ever Grande City. It was full of trainers if I said so myself. I had to be careful not to bump into anyone and carefully gave the worker the ticket that I booked online earlier. I went to the ship and found my room in a few minutes, and as I walked into the room, I heard the announcement, _"The ship will start going to our destination: Ever Grande City. This will take us about two hours before reaching our destination, so feel free to do whatever you want at the ship. We hope you enjoy your stay."_

I just stayed in my room, knowing that I couldn't walk much and my legs needed a rest, anyway.

 _Let's hope that I can make it in time..._

During the two hours, I spent my time checking out news in the Pokégear. It seemed that Ever Grande was crowded with people registering for the league. I also checked some casual news around the world before the announcement finally came, _"The ship has arrived in Ever Grande City. Please ensure that your belongings are not left at your respective rooms. We hope you enjoy your stay here and we hope to see you again."_

I excitedly walked out of the ship, and when I reached the exit, the busy was already gone, which was good for me. I walked out of the ship and walked into the Ever Grande Pokémon Centre.

The crowd that I saw from the images of the report seemed to be lesser, but it was still a large amount. After quite some queuing, it was finally my turn as the receptionist asked, "May I have your trainer card, please?"

I did what she told me to do, and the receptionist typed some information in the computer. After that, she happily said, "Lows Landerson, you're all set for the Junior Division Tournament in the Hoenn League. We hope you have a good time! Also, there are hotels for you to stay during your time at the league. Would you like to choose one?"

"Sure!" I said as I chose a decent-looking hotel from the images of the hotels she showed me.

"The hotel rooms are also open for one of your friends. It can either be a trainer participating the league, or a normal guest. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Hmm..." I didn't have anyone in mind, but I knew a friend staying with me would be nice. Suddenly, I saw a familiar person as I turned around, "Sip!"

Sip was able to hear my voice despite the loud noise from the crowd and he walked towards me, "Lows, how are you doing?"

"Doing great so far for the recovery part. Anyways, the hotel rooms are free, and we can stay in a room together! You wanna stay with me?" I asked.

"Sure thing! I haven't registered, though." He scratched his head.

The receptionist heard our conversation and suggested, "Lows, I'll help you register your friend, Sip as your hotel roommate. After that, Sip can join the queue for registration. Is that okay?"

"That would be great! Thanks." I happily accepted.

After the process was done, Sip said, "I shall be joining the queue, let's meet at one of the round tables over there."

I saw the round tables and nodded, "Alright. See you there!"

As I moved to one of the round tables, I heard two familiar voices, "Lows! Glad to see you make it!"

I turned my head and immediately saw my old friends. "Disc, Cassie! You guys are here too!"

"Well, we are not qualified for the playoffs, yet. I heard that the Pokémon League Association set a new rule to qualify." Disc explained.

"Sounds interesting. I wonder if we can all pass..." I remarked.

"We'll all make it if we believe!" We nodded at Cassie's words of encouragement.

"Anyways, how are you guys doing lately?" I asked.

"Not too bad. Been participating more tournaments, and I got a pretty solid team. Hopefully, I can go far." Disc said in determination.

"The same could be said to me, but I have been focusing more on contests than battles lately. They're really fun! After this league, I have my next destination!" She happily exclaimed.

"My journey is okay too. Well, could be worse..." I shrugged.

"What happened? I can see the fact that your legs don't look so hot." Disc said as he pointed the bandages on my legs.

"Well, you might not believe what happened, but I'll tell you everything..." I started the story between me and Team Will. They were indeed shocked by my story.

"Oh my! You've been through all of this! I'm glad you're okay." Disc said.

"Yeah, I'm glad I'm alive, too." I happily replied.

"On the bright side, you're still here, about to go for the victory! Right?" I nodded at Cassie's words. She always had that bright personality.

"Rumors were told that the hotel rooms are great." Disc told us another secret.

"That's great! I picked the Dragon King Hotel. What about you guys? Do you guys have a roommate?"

"Well, I guess friends think alike. I picked that hotel too, but I don't have a roommate. Doesn't matter much to me, though." Cassie said, she was the only child in the family so she was used to being on her own.

"That's my choice too! It has that comfortable feeling when I saw it. About the roommate, I met a trainer a few weeks ago and we made friends, so we are roommates for this league. You knew him too from the Verdanturf Battle Tent Tournament, too! He should be still registering..."

"Disc, what's up! I'm done registering!" A familiar voice appeared.

"Good for you, mate! Let's roll!" Disc high-fived the trainer, which is someone that I knew for quite a while.

"Regis!" I was surprised to see him here, and he apparently became friends with Disc too.

"Oh, it's Lows! Looks like we're here again after that embarrassing maze failure... Haha!" I nervously chuckled along with him, not wanting to think about that embarrassment again.

"Anyways, I see you made friends with Disc?"

"Yeah dude, he's cool! We seem to have the same likes, too. He is great, and a strong trainer as well!" He exclaimed.

"Glad to see you two get along well." I happily said.

"And looks like you have yourself a good friend, too." He said as he pointed at Sip, who was walking towards me after the registration.

"Woah... Seems like you have a crowd here."

"Yeah, meet my friends, Sip." I introduced Sip to the others while they welcomed Sip to the conversation. After a bit of chit-chatting, an announcement was made clearly for the trainers.

"To all trainers, please reach the main hall to hear a special announcement from the Pokémon League Association. Please be there within ten minutes."

"I wonder what is it about?" I curiously asked.

"Probably about the rule for qualification." Disc predicted.

"Whatever it is, let's go check it out!" We agreed to Regis as we walked our way to the main hall. The hall was huge, and it could fit about hundreds of trainers. We found the perfect spot for us as we sat together. Slowly, the trainers filled the hall and after ten minutes, a man wearing a formal suit went up the stage. After adjusting the microphone properly, he started talking.

"The registration for the Hoenn League 2004 is over. Thanks for everyone who registered in time. However, not everyone will be qualified for the playoffs."

The excited crowd was suddenly silenced by the words.

 _Like Disc said, we really have to do something else to qualify?_

"We tried out this new rule for the Indigo League for this year, and it seemed to be working well. As such, we will be doing the same for the Hoenn League too. To make it to the playoffs, you'll have to battle one of the Elite Four's Pokémon. This is to show your capability to quality for the tournament."

Most of the trainers didn't know the new rule and that caught them off guard, as they gasped upon hearing the new rule.

"The battles will be one on one singles format. Each battle lasts five minutes or ends when one of the Pokémon is unable to battle. The ones with the most potential shall be picked for the divisions' Top 64 preliminaries! The battles will start from tomorrow. For now, pick the Elite Four member you want to battle, and we hope you all do your best tomorrow!"

After the man left the stage, some of the trainers stayed there and discussed about the new rule, but most of the trainers just left the hall. They wanted to go to the hotel and have some rest, then take their dinner later.

"So... What are we supposed to do now?" Cassie asked.

"Let's go back to our rooms, and do our own stuff until seven. We'll gather at the Delicious Ramen Restaurant and discuss about it. Is everyone okay with that?" We nodded towards Disc's suggestion, as we quickly took our stuff and went to Dragon King Hotel.

As we reached the counter, the receptionists asked our names and gave us our room cards. Sip and I were staying at a room at seventh floor, Cassie's room was at the fifth floor, Disc and Regis were left with a room at the ninth floor.

"I'll see you guys later!" Cassie said as she walked out of the elavator when it reached fifth floor. We waved our hands as the elevator closed again. After a few seconds, Sip and I did the same to Disc and Regis too.

We searched for our room and found it eventually. We opened it with our room cards, and the sight was amazing: two single beds entirely cleaned up, a decent television, and a table with two small couchs. Opening the bathroom, there was a place for showering, a bathtub and a sink. So far, we were enjoying the place.

After putting our stuff at a side, I lied down on the soft and comfortable bed. "I'm quite satisfied with this hotel room!"

"So do I." Sip said as he got the remote control, "Don't mind if I watch some TV?"

"Sure thing. I wasn't planning on resting anyway. Just wanna relax on this bed..."

Sip nodded as he opened the television. The program was showing the live condition of the Hoenn League. After that, the reporter of the show was interviewing the Champion of Hoenn, Brendan.

"Here we are with the current Champion of the Hoenn region, Brendan. Thank you so much for taking your time and have this interview."

"It's not problem at all." Brendan smiled.

"How do you think of the Hoenn League so far?"

"It's pretty great! The trainers are interesting to know about, each of them have different battling styles and personalities, which is something I really enjoyed when I watch over trainers."

"Which division's battles are you looking forward to the most? Why?"

"I'd say the Junior Division. New talents showcasing their skills on the battlefield... It is a tremendous sight to watch."

"Would you be scared that you might lose your Champion status?"

"No, not at all! I would go all in to keep my status. But even if I lost, the trainer wins the title fair and square. But I'm going down without a battle!"

"Those are some great answers, Brendan. Thanks for answering my questions."

"No problem!" He happily replied.

"With that, the Hoenn League live broadcast will be taking a short break. What is going to happen in the Elite Four Entry battles? Who is going to strive and make it to the playoffs of Top 64? Everything will be revealed tomorrow. Later, we'll be back for more news of the Hoenn League. See you soon!" The reporter ended the broadcast as the television switched to another program. By the time we watched a few programmes, it was already 6:50p.m.

"We should get going now." I reminded Sip.

"Oh yeah, right! Let's go, Lows." We took our important things before going down to the Delicious Ramen Restaurant. When we reached there, we saw the gang at an easily noticable table. We went there and sat along as we ordered our food.

As we waited for the food, I asked, "Do you guys have any fixed pick on who to battle?"

"I'm not sure. I'm stuck between Sidney and Glacia right now. I had picked Starlight to battle, but he can take out both dark and ice types." Disc replied.

"I'll be picking Glacia. With Fire, he can destroy every ice type there is!" Cassie grinned.

"I should be doing the safe pick, who is Sidney. My Flygon should be able to take his Pokémon out." Sip apparently had his choice too.

"My team mostly consist of flying types. Hmm..." Regis was having trouble picking the member too.

"What about you, Lows?" Disc asked.

"Still unsure. I'm going to pick Surfer, but his type has no advantage against any types that the Elite Four members use."

"What about Drake? Surfer has Ice Beam, which will be useful." Cassie suggested.

"B-But Cassie! You're taking Lows to a deadly pit! You know that Drake is the strongest one of the Elite Four!" Disc yelled.

"I-I know... Just wanted to help..."

"I suggest you to battle someone safer, like Sidney and Phoebe." Disc suggested.

"I'll see how it goes..." As I said that, the food arrived as we enjoyed our dinner and talked about our journeys. After about two hours, we bid farewell to each other and returned to our rooms.

Returning to our rooms, Sip was watching the live broadcast that was back again, while I thought about which member I should battle.

 _Drake's Pokémon are all weak to Ice Beam, which is an advantage for Surfer. However, his Pokémon are known to be tough battlers. The safer choice would be Sidney or Phoebe, but we wouldn't have the advantage._

I suddenly thought about Harry. I still had not seen him that day.

 _I wonder what will Harry choose at this point. He would probably choose Drake to test out his skill._

 _It's either high risk, high reward, or the safe picks... This battle would be important for me to qualify for playoffs, and I'll have to pick either low risk or advantage..._

After some rational thinking, I knew what my final choice was going to be.

"Sip, I think I know who to battle now."

"Hmm? Who is it?" He curiously asked.

"The person I choose is..."

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Who will be Lows' final choice?**

 **How will Lows and the others do at the battles against the Elite Four members?**


	48. Hoenn 42

**At the Hoenn League, Lows met some of his old friends he made throughout the journey, and they heard the new rule by the PLA that they needed to battle a Elite Four member to qualify for the playoffs. Lows thought about it and he had his final pick. What was his final pick and how will he do against the member?**

 **Chapter 42 - The Ticket to the Playoffs**

The next day after the registration, the trainers were required to gather at the hall early in the morning before they start the battles. Sip and I were able to wake up in time and reached there. In fact, we were one of the earliest trainers to reach there, so we would be the first ones to battle the Elite Four members.

I was still thinking about whether my choice was correct. _What if... this battle went extremely wrong? I would never forgive myself for that!_

Sip noticed my nervousness as he comforted me, "Lows, you made the choice, and I'm sure you'll do well."

"I hope so..."

"You will do well, trust me." I nodded as I high-fived my friend. When the time had arrived, most of the trainers were already at the place. I didn't manage to find Cassie, Disc and Regis in the crowd, as a man came up the stage and stated the rules.

"Alright, is everyone ready for the battle? As I said before, this battle lasts for five minutes or when one of the Pokémon is unable to battle. There are four doors, and when the workers there call your names, go into one of the door that leads to the member you wanted to battle, and have the battle of your lifetime! Each Elite Four member will take 25 trainers for each division, so the early bird gets the worm! I hope you all are ready!"

After that, the workers started to call out names as the trainers stepped into the doors. Most of the trainers did choose Sidney and Phoebe, which I wasn't surprised of.

"Sip Anders, it's your turn!" When Sip's name was called out, he nervously stood up and was about to walk to the door, but he almost tripped and I caught him in time.

"Look at you! You told me to calm down, man! You should do the same too." I lightly laughed.

"Yeah... Guess you're right. I'll be going now! Good luck to both of us." Sip said as he walked to the door where Sidney was located.

"Lows Landerson, you're next!" I took a deep breath as I thought, _Lows, this is the time. Let's go and get the ticket to the playoffs!_

I walked towards the door of my choice, while some trainers in the crowd gasped when seeing my choice. I ignored them and closed the door after walking in. I walked through a path and found the trainer I chose.

The trainer heard my footsteps as he turned around, "Wow, never expected someone to challenge me that early, but I'll take it."

"Y-Yeah, I'm here to battle you!"

"You gotta calm down. Anyways, let me introduce myself. My name is **Drake** , I'm the final member of the Elite Four. I specialise in dragon type Pokémon."

I nodded as I replied with an introduction, "I am Lows Landerson, from Kanto. I'm participating the Junior Division of the Hoenn League 2004."

"I'd say you have some guts. You're the first member to battle me for the playoffs. I won't go easy!"

The referee walked between us and said, "This is a one on one single battle, and this battle lasts five minutes or when a Pokémon is unable to battle. Do you understand the rules, Lows Landerson from Kanto?"

I nodded as he continued, "The battle between the challenger, Lows Landerson and Drake will now begin! Trainers, please send out your Pokémon!"

The Champion, Brendan was at his office, looking at the live broadcast showing the first day of the Hoenn League battles.

The reporter suddenly said in shock, "Unbelievable! The tenth trainer has chosen the fourth Elite Four member, Drake!"

His partner replied, "Really? I heard that Drake is the best trainer out of the four members."

"That is true! His achievements clearly shown that he is a trainer that everyone fears. This trainer got the guts for it! Who is this trainer?"

"His name is Lows Landerson, and he is from Kanto. He has quite a solid team, but going up against Drake... Dang, he made quite a decision!"

"How will he do against Drake? You'll find out when we have more information about it!"

The Champion raised an eyebrow. _Lows Landerson... You've been an interesting trainer. Stopping Team Will, and now battling the strongest trainer of the Elite Four that I wouldn't even dare to battle... I hope you do well._

He continued watching the broadcast while observing the trainers' choices.

"I'm picking you, Surfer!" I said as I threw the only Pokéball I'll be using for the day.

"Hmm... Let's go, Draco." He threw his picked Pokéball as a Salamence appeared in the battlefield.

 _Plan working out so far... We just need to land the Ice Beam attack._

"The battle between Surfer and Draco will now begin!"

"Surfer, Iron Defense!" Surfer nodded as his shell glowed silver and increased his defense. I knew it was crucial to reduce the damage.

"Draco, Rock Slide and fly to the sky!" Draco summoned the rockslide to my starter and flew high in the air.

"Surfer, hit them back with Aqua Tail!" He used his tail and broke the boulders coming his way, but the dragon type was in position when we were distracted.

"Draco, now! Thunder Fang!" The dragon type flew towards the water type and it was not looking forward to lose this opportunity.

 _Ah, great! Surfer definitely wouldn't haven't time to dodge that! I have to use the move now!_

"Surfer, counter with Ice Beam!" He charged the ice type move and as the dragon type bit him, he gritted his teeth and held the pain while he shot the ice beam from his hand, and it hit right at the dragon type. I could tell the dragon type was in pain from the super-effective attack, but it tried not to show it. Surfer was in pain too, but at least the damage was reduced and the paralysis didn't come to my starter.

"Two minutes has passed!" The referee announced as I thought, _that fast?! It feels like I didn't do much yet! I need to show more..._

"Surfer, do you think you can jump with all your strength?"

"I guess I can try... I did some training back at the hospital with my jumping."

"Alright then! Surfer, Surf!" Surfer summoned the huge waves as the Elite Four member reacted, "Draco, dodge!"

The dragon type did what it was told and flew up to the sky again. This time, I knew I couldn't blow the chance away.

"Surfer, jump now and use Aqua Tail!" Surfer was able to jump to the dragon type as it didn't fly tok high, and attacked it with his huge tail. My plan worked but as he was going to retreat, Draco suddenly grabbed his tail with its mouth. He then started swinging and threw my water type to the ground.

"Two minutes left!"

"Surfer! You good?" I went over to my Blastoise and asked in concern.

"I'm not gonna wipe out yet... We have to do this!"

"That's the spirit we needed! Surfer, Ice Beam!"

"Draco, dodge it and use Dragon Claw!" He knew my plan all along and thought of the solution. Draco was able to dodge the beam and started charging towards Surfer in a weird strafe pattern. Surfer tried to use multiple Ice Beams on it, but to no avail. As the dragon type got closer to Surfer, I started to worry.

 _Calm down, Lows! Read its strafe pattern! Left, right, straight... Right, straight, left... Straight, left, right... That's it!_

"Surfer, Aqua Tail to your left!" Surfer was able to react fast and swung his tail directly to the dragon type. After that, he knew what to do and released the Ice Beam right at the Salamence before it recovered. As Surfer was excited and eager to battle more, the referee suddenly announced, "Time is up! The battle is over!"

Surfer made an disappointed expression but he recovered when I happily complemented him, "You did great there, Surfer."

"Thanks! We should be able to qualify, right?"

"Maybe..." I replied as the Elite Four member walked towards me and said, "You're able to read the strafe pattern of my Salamence in such a dangerous situation. You do have something that I am interested about."

"Thanks, Drake." I happily accepted it as a compliment.

"However, it might be also because I haven't take my morning coffee, and I didn't shoe my potential. But I have to say, you did okay." He joked.

"Haha... I'll take that." I lightly laughed at his sense of humour, as I shook hands with the member and walked out of the room. I did well, and I hoped I could make it.

After I walked out of the room, I saw Sip just went out of the room with a happy expression.

"Let me guess... You demolished him?"

"Well, I can't say demolish... But I can say I did decent. What about you?"

"Could've been worse, but I got through it."

"Usually when you said that in video calls, you succeeded in the end! I could probably say the same for this time, too." He chuckled.

"Well, we'll see tonight. Wanna go and just rest at the hotel room for a few hours?" I suggested as I was tired from the battle.

"On it. I'm tired as well, let's go and relax for the afternoon."

We smiled as we walked back to the Dragon King Hotel, hoping for a good result. After we got back to the hotel room, we also watched the live broadcast and saw our friends.

"Hmm, so Disc did choose Glacia..." I said.

"Glacia isn't a choice many people went for too. Hopefully he does well."

"Oh, he definitely will." The next person we saw was Regis. He was about to walk into Sidney's room, but was informed that it was over for the Junior Division trainers to battle Sidney. Shocked, he went to Phoebe's room and entered it.

"Guess things didn't go his way. I still hope he can make it, though."

"Actually, if he play this right, this can turn into an advantage for him." I explained.

After quite a while, I saw the strong trainer: Harry going into Drake's room.

"I guess he wants to show his skills too." Sip exclaimed.

"Well, he will be a threat in the league, that's for sure..." I muttered.

Cassie was the final person I knew that battled the Elite Four member. When her named was called, she happily jumped and excitedly ran into Glacia's room.

"Your friend sure is cheerful..." Sip said, looking at the television screen.

"I know... She is always like that since we are friends. Well, it isn't a bad thing, anyway." We laughed as we continued watching the broadcast. By the time the last battles took place, five hours already passed. I was glad that we went there early.

"The results should be in three hours." Sip watched the news and informed me.

"Yeah, let's hope that we both make it." I smiled as I lied down my bed and took a short nap. I saw Sip doing the same too as we woke up thirty minutes before the scheduled time for the results to be posted. We changed our clothes and we were ready to see our final results.

We walked down the hall and saw trainers eager and nervous to see the results. I managed to find the other three as Disc said, "Wow... I can't believe you actually listened to Cassie's suggestion."

"I mean, her suggestions are weird, but they always work, don't they?"

"You got a point here..." He chuckled.

"Regis, I saw what happened through TV. Are you doing okay in the battle?"

"Acutally, better than I expected! Swell was able to make the ghost type moves useless, and that was a huge advantage for us."

"Good to hear that..." I happily replied as we waited for the results. After a while, a man finally got the papers with names of the qualified trainers. He slowly walked to the bulletin board and pinned the papers. After he left, the crowd started to look at the papers. Some of them cheered in happiness, while some of them didn't have the best results and they were upset about it.

It was finally our turn as Disc said, "My name is on it! I can see it right there!"

"Good job, bro! Oh wait... My name is there too!" Regis exclaimed.

"Cassie, Sip, your names are right there, too!" Disc pointed their names to them as they happily cheered.

I was searching through the papers for my name, and at the final paper, I finally saw my name, Lows Landerson. I was happy as I yelled, "I got in too!"

"Yeah, that's great! We all made it to the playoffs!"

"The trainers who we will be facing shall be announced in two hours. In the mean time, why don't we go and eat? I heard the roasted fish at the Seafood Feast is great." Disc suggested.

"Sounds like a plan! Let's go, everyone." Everyone nodded as we walked towards the restaurant with happy feelings.

 _It's time for us... to finally strike into the Hoenn League!_

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Lows' choice and the battle?**

 **Who do you think is going to fall first among the five?**

 **How will Lows do in the Top 64 battle?**


	49. Hoenn 43

**After a brave decision made by Lows, Lows was able to get a good result from battling Drake. This resulted in Lows and his friends qualifying for the playoffs of the Hoenn League. The next day, Lows was going to battle his first opponent of the league. Will he be able to succeed or fall?**

 **Chapter 43 - The First Battle of the Hoenn League**

After we had ourselves some roasted fish at the renowned restaurant, Disc's Pokégear vibrated as he took it out and checked it. After that, he informed us, "My friend told me that the battle list had came out, and he even took the photos and sent them to me."

He opened the photos through the Pokégear as we stared at the screen. Luckily, none of us were against each other for the first round. Instead, the name "Samuel" was beside mine.

 _Samuel... I wonder who he is... And what Pokémon does he use to battle?_

"Oh, you're battling Samuel, that idol-like trainer!" Cassie exclaimed.

"Yeah, I have heard of this trainer before. He is a trainer from Sootopolis City, and he likes to fish for his Pokémon. Therefore, his Pokémon mainly consists of water types. You should be able to take him down." Disc explained.

"And one thing: he is really handsome!" Cassie exclaimed while we gave her glares.

"But I don't have much advantage either!" I exclaimed, "Only Woody has the type advantage, and we don't battle water type Pokémon much."

"Then Woody should be battling for sure. Why don't Shadow battle too? She can do great at these situations and gain experience too." Disc suggested.

"I agree. However, that leaves to one more choice." I said.

"I guess it's up to your own, Lows."

"Hmm... I'll think about it. Let's get back to sleep and prepare for tomorrow." I suggested, as we bid goodbye and went back to our rooms.

"Sip, what do you think of your opponent?" I asked on the way back to our room.

"Well, he seems pretty tough, but I'll enjoy the battle." Sip replied.

"What Pokémon do you think I should use?"

"Well, he is a water type specialist... Why don't you use Grace? I think her Thunderbolt will do well if she manages to use it correctly."

"Good point! I'll use Grace, Woody and Shadow!"

"Sounds like a plan. Maybe... you can help me plan my team too? I haven't think about it yet."

"Sure, Sip! Let's get back to the room and discuss."

We laughed as we got back to our room and talked about the team planning before going to sleep for our first battle in the Hoenn League.

* * *

"Welcome back to the live broadcast of the first wave of battles in the Hoenn League! I'm the caster for today, Fred Jones! And I'm here with my partner for the league broadcast, Camelia Marine!"

"Thanks for the introduction, Fred. Anyways, let's take a look at the list of the battles taking place today!" A list of battles had appeared on the background of the television screen.

"Looks like, we'll be taking a look at the Junior Division battles first! Camelia, how do you think of the new divisions format?"

"I think it is great, Fred! Lots of new talents on the battlefield, showing that they can be good trainers even though they are young. We had both witnessed it during the Indigo League this year, hadn't we?"

"That is true, Camelia! So many talents we had seen in that league. The winner of the division, Weldon Leland and trainers who made it far such as Enoch, Mac, Summer Scorcher and many more! Anyways, do you think we'll be seeing anything like these trainers again in the Hoenn League, Camelia?"

"I think we have already seen some talents throughout the progress of the trainers during the badge collecting period. Harry Waves, who has been showing that he isn't just Brawly's son, he is a full package trainer!" Camelia exclaimed.

"Also, Daniel Chase, who is also known as Disc, is also a really consistent player to say the least!"

"What about Sip Anders? He has been only travelling for three months, yet he is able to get all ten badges in such a short period! He has the passion to do well in battles."

"I agree, Camelia. There's also a dark horse coming out among the trainers lately. Lows Landerson, the trainer who did a super brave decision yesterday to battle Drake, is also qualified for the Top 64! Not many people tried to even battle Drake, and able to succeed from doing that is an even tougher achievement!"

"Yeah, you got a point! If he is able to impress Drake, then expect some action from this trainer." Camelia smiled at his partner's opinion.

"What is going to happen between all the trainers? We'll be right here, giving you updates on them! Stay tuned for the first battles in the Hoenn League!" Fred ended with his professional words as the two took a short break. Brendan looked at the screen while thinking, _He's right, there are so many new talents... But only one will succeed for this league... I wonder who is it going to be._

Suddenly, his office door was opened as a young teenage girl stepped into the office. Brendan saw her and sighed, "May, how many times did I tell you-"

"'Don't step into my office like this is your home'? You know I can't wait for these things! Anyways, I am going to watch the battles at the stadium. You wanna come along?"

"Well, I wish I could, but you knew that if I go into the stadium, for sure some weird people will surround me-"

"I know, I know! Trust me, alright?"

"Nah... I think watching them through the TV is okay too."

"I told you that I got a plan! Stop being like this and let's just go!" May never stopped with the begging. After begging for a while, Brendan was starting to give up.

"F-Fine! What do you have as a plan?"

"I'll tell you when we get there! Haha, let's go fast, Slowpoke!" She ran out of the office, as the Champion sighed and slowly followed along.

* * *

"We're back again after a short break!" Fred continued the live broadcast casting.

"We got the information, and we're going to show you what battles are going to take place first!" Camelia followed along.

"First up, we have the disc lover, Daniel Chase against the country boy, Jefferson Kender!" Fred said as the two players' faces appeared on the screen. "Disc's talent is unquestionable, and I heard that they had battled before?"

"That's right, Fred! They first battled each other at the Lilycove Junior Stars Tournament, and Disc was able to defeat Jefferson with ease. I don't see why he couldn't do it again." Camelia concluded.

"Good point. Next up, we have Sip Anders versus Kenny Carter! Those two haven't battled each other yet, and they are both really strong trainers, so any one of them going down will be quite a shame."

"I'm putting my money on Kenny. He has been improving lately!"

"I agree! However, Sip is also a force that shouldn't be ignored." Fred said.

"We'll have to find out the results later! Anyways, we also have Samuel Henry, the idol-look trainer versus Lows Landerson, the current dark horse of the season!"

"This should be a tough one to pick, too. However, Samuel is really good looking... Not as good as me, though." Fred sneered.

"Hahaha... Samuel is good looking, but skills are not affected by looks! I'm sure we'll find the answer when the battle takes place."

"Harry Waves, the hot pick of the Junior Division Champion, is battling against Mike Cameron for his first battle."

"Mike is really unlucky that he is going against the semifinalist of the Indigo League this year!"

"He sure is. Anyways, next up..." Suddenly, a man appeared in the screen as he whispered something to Fred and Camelia. After the man left, Fred exclaimed, "We have some breaking news! Brendan, the current Champion in the Hoenn region, is now in the stadium, trying to get a seat to watch the battles closely!"

"However, his fans definitely noticed him..." Camelia said, while the background changed into the Champion along with a female trainer getting surrounded by the teenager's fans. "Now, the crowd has surrounded the Champion!"

"Looks like the Champion has got himself in quite a situation," Fred chuckled as he continued, "will he be able to get out the crowd somehow?"

"I don't know, Fred. He seems to be quite stuck in the crowd..."

"Hahahaha..." The two laughed as they continued to watch the situation.

* * *

"M-May, I thought you said you got a plan for this!" Brendan was stuck in the crowd with May, unable to get out.

"E-Ermm... My plan is... actually, I don't have a plan!"

"WHAT?! May, we are stuck here! We can't get out of here! I told you we should've just watch in my office!"

"Relax, Brendan! Geez, being scared is not what you always have in you! Let me think... Ah ha!" May suddenly had a sly grin. Brendan sighed, knowing that her idea wasn't going to be nice.

"Come out, Troppy!" She was somehow able to pull out a Pokéball of her belt as she opened the Pokéball. A Tropius came out of the Pokéball, making cries while he flapped his wings and stayed in the air. The trainers were immediately scared as they ran away from the area to get another seat. Brendan found a small space from the running crowd, as he grabbed May's hand and ran away. May was able to return Troppy back to his Pokéball before she was dragged away back to his office.

When they went back to Brendan's office, Brendan gasped for air as he scolded, "M-May, I told you that enormous Pokémon is not allowed at the arena seat! Besides, Troppy could've brokenthe seats if he didn't fly! I'm gonna have to explain it to PLA later..." He then saw May's face was bright red and asked, "M-May?"

"O-Oh!" May went back to reality from Brendan grabbing her hand and replied, "W-Well, I wanna get us out of there! Besides, I wanna make up for what I did that led us to that situation. If I didn't do that, you would still be there, surrounded by your fans..."

"T-Technically, that's true..." Brendan sheepishly rubbed his head as he said, "Even though I'm gonna have a lot of trouble later, t-thanks for your help."

"No problem! Anyways, let's just watch the battles here. The arena seat isn't so comfortable anyway."

"You only realize that now, don't you?" Brendan chuckled as he said, "Alright then, I'll turn back the TV on. Let's watch them together."

"YAY!" May happily shouted, but she quickly regained composure as they looked at the television screen.

* * *

I watched some of the battles through the television provided at the back of the battlefield before my battle took place.

 _Hmm... Disc was able to defeat Jefferson with two of his Pokémon left. Sip was able to defeat Kenny too, Max really saved the game for him..._

"Lows Landerson, please get ready to go into the battlefield!" The PA announced as I stood up from the chair I was sitting as I moved to the waiting side.

 _Lows, do your best for the first battle! Let's move on to the next round!_ I encouraged myself.

"Lows Landerson, it's time to walk into the battlefield!" I nodded as I followed the PA's command, walking into the battlefield. As I entered, Samuel and I were welcomed by the cheers of the audience. The referee didn't waste much time as he walked to the middle of the battlefield.

"To my right, we have Samuel Henry from Sootopolis City!" The audience cheered when his name was called, mostly the girls who were attracted by his looks. "To my left, we have Lows Landerson from Pallet Town!" Some of the audience politely cheered for me, but not as loud as Samuel's cheers. A nervousness suddenly hit me.

 _Don't care about how the others think: Just be yourself and prove them wrong!_

"The battle between Samuel Henry and Lows Landerson will now begin! The field type and who gets the first move will be chosen at random."

Immediately, a sound was made as the pointer on the enormous television screen above me started spinning in the circle that was cut into three parts, showing three different field types: rock, grass and water. The pointer slowly stopped and much to my relief, it landed on the grass field. Another circle replaced the first one, showing Samuel's and my face on two different sides. The pointer spun around the circle and it stopped at my side.

"This battle will be on the grass field, and Lows will have the first move."

The ground shook as the dirt battlefield changed into the grass field with short, green grass. The circle was then replaced with our pictures and the Pokéball icons, showing how many Pokémon we had left.

I took out the first Pokéball as I yelled, "It's time, Shadow!"

My Absol landed on the grassy field, as she wandered around the surroundings. She didn't say anything, but her determination was shown through her expression.

Samuel took out his Pokéball and said, "Show them who we are, Drogoz!" The Pokémon appeared and not to my surprise, it was a Gyarados. The ground slightly sank when the heavy Pokémon appeared. My Absol remained unfazed while staring at the water type. Their pictures appeared on the top Pokéball slots as a force field covered the arena.

"The battle between Drogoz and Shadow will now begin!"

"Shadow, Psycho Cut!" Shaodw started off by sending out the psychic power blade, while Samuel responded with, "Drogoz, dodge and use Rain Dance!"

Although Shadow was fast, the dragon and flying type was slightly faster to dodge the attack and summoned the rain for some time.

 _Now that's gonna be a problem..._

"Drogoz, now is our time to strike! Use Aqua Tail and send that Absol to you, then use Ice Fang!"

"Shadow, use Protect!"

Drogoz started to swing its long and big tail towards my Absol, but Shadow formed the protective barrier, but the Drogoz kept on breaking through the barrier non-stop. When the final health of the barrier was gone, the barrier broke and the tail hit my dark type. Shadow was slammed into the air as Drogoz bited her with his freezing fang.

I could see Shadow gritting her teeth and trying to hold back the pain, and I knew we have to turn the tables back, "Shadow, don't give up! Payback!"

Shadow nodded as she fought through the pain and released her stored power directly at the Gyarados. The Gyarados cried in pain as it released my Absol, making her fell onto the ground, but she managed to land perfectly.

"Drogoz, Hydro Pump!" The Gyarados starting shooting a powerful water blast towards Shadow.

"Shadow, Protect again!" I knew the barrier she created won't be as protective as before due to her energy, but that was the only plan I had in mind.

As the water blast was breaking through the barrier once again, Samuel taunted, "Lows, Protect can't save your Pokémon from everything!"

I clenched my fist, but I knew I had to calm down. As the barrier was breaking, I thought of an risky idea.

"Shadow, when the barrier breaks, use Psycho Cut directly at the Hydro Pump!" Shadow nodded as she waited for the moment as the protective barrier broke, she was ready to release the psychic blade towards the water attack. The water blast was cut into half by the water blast as the power was reduced. Surprisingly, the psychic attack seperated the water attack, making the attack fail to hit Shadow who was behind the psychic blade.

A smile formed in my face as I knew Drogoz needed time to recharge, "Shadow, Night Slash now!"

My Absol formed her most powerful attack and slashed the Gyarados who was still exhausted from releasing the water type attack. The Gyarados was pushed back, but it was still able to battle although it was exhausted. Shadow on the other hand, still having a decent amount of energy left.

"Shadow, you can do it! Night Slash, full power!"

"We can't give up! Drogoz, give that Absol a full power Aqua Tail!"

As Shadow rushed forward to the Gyarados, the Gyarados slammed its tail towards my Absol. However, Shadow suddenly took a huge leap and dodged the attack as she dived forward and slashed the Gyarados directly at its face. The audience were surprised by Shadow's reflexes as they cheered. Drogoz roared in pain and collapsed due to the powerful attack that turned out to be a critical hit. As the Gyarados fainted, the rain in the battlefield stopped, making the situation better for us.

"Drogoz is unable to battle! Shadow wins!" One of Samuel's Pokéball icons became black on the screen, showing that he had two Pokémon left.

I petted her as I complemented, "Shadow, that is a great performance! You should take a rest before moving on." The Absol happily nodded as I returned her. I then took out another Pokéball and threw it, "Let's strike, Woody!"

A smirk was seen in Samuel's face as he threw his second Pokéball, "You're in for some trouble. You're next, Stingray!"

A Tentacruel appeared in the battlefield, its eyes glaring the grass type. I then hit my head, realizing that Tentacruel is also a poison type Pokémon.

 _Guess we gotta take the steps carefully..._

"The battle between Stingray and Woody will now begin!"

"Woody, use Giga Drain!" Woody nodded as he launched the seeds that would sap the Tentacruel's health. However, its trainer just smirked.

The seeds landed on Stingray successfully as the energy was sapped from it, but Woody showed signs of poison as the energy was transfered to him.

"Woody, you okay?"

"I don't know... I don't feel good." Woody said, while trying to stay focus.

"Ah, great! I just remembered. Tentacruel's ability makes sapped energy harm its opponent! I'm sorry, Woody."

"I-It's all good, I can still battle." Woody said as he felt a little dizzy from the poisoning.

"I hope so, Woody. Use Agility, then Leaf Blade!" Woody nodded as he focused and his body weight became lighter, increasing his speed. He then ran at lightning speed, much faster than he already was as he landed the hit on the Tentacruel.

"Stingray, release Acid all around the battlefield!" Stingray nodded as it released the acid over and over again, landing around our side of the battlefield. Woody was forced to slow down so he wouldn't step on the acid and take damage.

"There he is. Stingray, grab him and use Posion Jab!"

As Woody was trying to dodge the acid on the ground, Stingray was able to catch him with the tentacles. I watched helplessly as Woody was grabbed and was forced to face directly at the scary eyes. I knew he couldn't escape from the powerful attack, but I knew he had to deal some damage.

"Woody, I know it would be painful, but before he land the hit on you, try to attack him with Leaf Blade!" Woody gritted his teeth as he formed the leaf blade on his arm and slashed it directly at its eyes. The Tentacruel cried in pain, but it wasn't willing to give up this target as its two poisonous tentacles stabbed my Grovyle. Woody let out a painful cry as the Tentacruel let him drop to the ground. After that painful super-effective attack, Woody tried to get up, making me the audience cheering for the Grovyle, but we all sighed when Woody was unable to get up in the end.

"Woody is unable to battle! Stingray wins!" The referee announced as I walked over to Woody.

"I-I'm sorry, Woody. Thanks for your effort." I knew that harmed him a lot, but I needed to move on to win this battle. I quickly returned him and sent out my Absol again.

"The battle between Shadow and Stingray will now begin!"

"Shadow, use Psycho Cut!"

"Stingray, break the attack apart with Acid!" Another wave of acid attack had commenced and the psychic blade was broken apart after making contact with the deadly acid.

 _I never knew Acid can be used like this!_

"Shadow, use Night Slash, and don't get caught!" I knew at least some damage was dealt to the water and poison type, and I needed to keep this going.

"Stingray, use Blizzard!" The Tentacruel took a deep breath and released a snowstorm towards my Absol. I knew she wouldn't have time to avoid the attack, but I had to at least reduce the impact. "Shadow, use Psycho Cut as a counter attack!"

Shadow released the psychic blade and split the attack apart, but some of the impact went through the psychic blade and hit her. She gritted her teeth as she was able to give another critical hit as she slashed the Tentacruel, thanks to her Super Luck ability. However, the Tentacruel was still standing and still able to battle. Shadow on the other hand, was starting to get tired from the last battle.

"Shadow, you can do this! Psycho Cut!"

"Stingray, Hydro Pump, full power!"

Shadow was able to send out the powerful psychic blade accurate towards the Tentacruel. Meanwhile, the Tentacruel released a water blast towards the Absol. Shadow was too exhausted to use Protect, and couldn't defend herself as she was washed away from the water blast. As the attack was over, Shadow was lying on the ground and couldn't move.

On the other hand, the psychic blade actually landed on the water and poison type, making it another critical hit. The Tentacruel finally cried in pain as it couldn't withstand the damage from the two opponents and collapsed, making the audience shocked by the result.

"Both Stingray and Shadow are unable to battle! This battle is a draw!"

"Shadow, good job. Have a good rest." I thanked her as I returned her. Both of us were down to our last Pokémon.

I grabbed Grace's Pokéball and threw it, "I have faith in you, Grace!"

"We'll get our victory, Flashlight!" He said as the idol-looking trainer threw his final Pokéball. It was an uncommon Pokémon in Kanto: Chinchou.

 _Let me think... Chinchou's ability is Volt Absorb if I'm not mistaken... Oh no, Grace's Thunderbolt is useless at this point!_

"The battle between Flashlight and Grace will now begin!"

"Grace, use Shadow Ball!" Grace launched the dark blob as she hit the Chinchou due to the speed advantage. Samuel commanded, "Flashlight, use Thunderbolt!"

"Grace, use Psychi-" I was going to command Grace to use her psychic powers and launch the thunderbolts back to their owner, but that would heal the Chinchou.

"Grace, dodge and use Calm Mind!"

Grace was able to her psychic power to teleport herself to a short distance away from the thunderbolts and boosted her powers.

"That's all you got, Lows?" He noticed that I wasn't countering the attack and taunted, "Flashlight, use Spark!"

Flashlight rushed towards the Embrace Pokémon and released sparks to my Gardevoir. I yelled, "Grace, fight through the pain and use Psychic to launch Flashlight back!"

Grace was still able to calm down despite the damage taken as she focused her powers on the water and electrice type. The Chinchou was surrounded by the psychic power and it was launched into the air and fell onto the ground. Based on its powers, I could tell the Chinchou was a newly acquired Pokémon as it still had a hard time controlling its powers. Samuel was trying to win the battle, but I knew I had to end it soon enough.

I commanded, "Grace, use Psychic, full power on Flashlight!"

"F-Flashlight, use Bubblebeam!" The trainer was having trouble to stay calm as he commanded.

Grace focused her psychic powers towards the Chinchou. It was able to release the bubbles, but it didn't affect Grace much as she took full control of it using her psychic powers and hit the Chinchou. The young Chinchou cried in pain as it collapsed, much to the audience's surprise: they didn't expect the Pokémon to go down so quickly.

I happily clenched my fist as the referee announced, "Flashlight is unable to battle! Grace wins! The winner is Lows Landerson from Pallet Town!"

 _Well, a tough battle, but... could be worse._ I thought as I saw the screen had the text "WINNER" on my picture as I grinned. I went and shook hands with Samuel, who was still upset about the loss.

I comforted him, "You did really well. However, I assumed that Flashlight is a new Pokémon?"

"H-How do you know?" The trainer was in shock.

"Call that a trainer's instinct, I guess." I chuckled, "Well, if Flashlight practices more in battling, it could definitely be a great force in the future."

"Thanks, Lows. I hope I can battle you again soon. Good luck for the rest of the Hoenn League."

"Thanks, good luck to you too in the future." We smiled as the audience gave us a round of applause for the intense battle.

* * *

 **Three days later...**

"Time flies... The Top 32 battle is tomorrow!" I exclaimed in the hotel room.

"I'm pretty sure the battle list had came out. Wanna go down and check it out?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Let's go!" I accepted his suggestion as we went down to the PokéCentre. There were televisions showing the battle list of the Top 32 in different divisions. We managed to find the Junior Division battle list as I tried to find my name.

 _Where is Lows Landerson... Ah ha, there it is! I wonder who is my opponent..._

After a while, Sip found his name too, "Hmm... I'm battling against Oscor Jackson, the top student in Leap High... I wonder if I can defeat him." He then turned to me and asked, "Did you find you name yet, Lows?"

He realized I wasn't answering his question and stared at me, "L-Lows? What's going on?"

I didn't say anything, instead I just pointed at the part with my name on it. Sip looked at the person battling me and he was just as shocked as I was, "No way..."

 _Why does it have to come down to this so quickly?_

I thought as we looked at the name beside me:

Regis Skies.

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the incident that Brendan and May faced?**

 **How do you think of Lows' performance in the Top 64 battle?**

 **Who is going to succeed in the clash of friends?**


	50. Hoenn 44

**Lows came across his Top 64 opponent, Samuel the idol-like trainer. After a hard-fought three on three single battle, Lows was able to win the battle thanks to Grace winning against Flashlight, Samuel's Chinchou. However, the boy was shocked when he found out that his next opponent is one of his friends, Regis. Who will succeed in the clash of friends and will this affect their friendship?**

 **Chapter 44 - The Clash Between Friends**

The next day, I was at the back of the battlefield as I sighed. I didn't see Regis since I watched the battle list, but he definitely knew that he was against me. I really hoped that things didn't have to go this way, but it had to be like this.

 _Let's just watch the television... There's still two battles before mine. Maybe, that could calm me down._

I sighed again as I stared at the television screen.

"Welcome back to day 2 of the battles of Junior Division in the Hoenn League! We're back again after taking a short break. Let's see the results of the battles that took place so far!" Fred started.

"The battles in the Junior Division that had already ended include Daniel Chase versus Fabian Kovac. Disc was able to win another battle and move on to the Top 16!"

"With two of his Pokémon left, too! When the reporters interviewed him, he said he wanted to get into the Top 8 as his personal goal. If he wins one more battle, the dream of his has come true!"

"With his skills, we should be able to see him at the Top 8." Fred smiled, "What do we have next?"

"Sip Anders battling against Oscor Jackson. It was a battle between passion and knowledge. In the end, Sip was able to make a huge comeback as Bounce, his Grumpig was able to defeat two opponents in a row when he was down to a one versus two situation!"

"Sip certainly has a lot of heroes in his team. During the Top 64 battle, Max the Flygon was able to save him the game. This time, it was Bounce who stepped up!"

"I wonder who is going to be the hero during his Top 16 battle..." Camelia questioned.

"We'll find out in a few days! Anyways, the battle that took place earlier was Cassie Madison versus Selma Pink, the pop singer in Hoenn!"

"Selma Pink is the one able to clash through the female battle. She barely took out Cassie with one exhausted Pokémon left."

"I was quite upset too! Cassie is a trainer with huge potential, but I heard that she is more into joining contests?"

"That's true, Camelia! In the interview after the battle, Cassie admitted that she was upset at first, but she cheered up when she knew where she is going to take her next step! She told us that it is a place where contests are more common."

"I'm going to take a guess that she is going to the Orange Islands."

"Same here! Orange Islands is the place for contests enthusiasts. She should be going there next."

"Still, she is definitely a cheerful person, able to recover from the loss that fast. I hope she does well wherever she goes!"

"Best of wishes to you, Cassie. Who are the trainers that will be battling next?"

"We have Harry Waves, who will be battling Andrew Charlson, the guitarist for the band Dark Sides!"

"Andrew might be good at the guitar, but he might have to go down by this talented trainer!"

"That's true. Next up, we have Regis Skies versus Lows Landerson! This is the second time they're going to battle each other after their battle at the Verdanturf Battle Tent Tournament."

"Lows was able to defeat Regis that time, but what is going to happen this time?"

"They are good friends too, I wonder if they can remain good friends after this battle?"

"I sure hope so. We will now be watching the next battle, Harry Waves versus Andrew Charlson!"

I stared at the screen as the battle was recorded live by the cameras. Harry was able to demolish the guitarist, and the battle ended pretty quickly. When the second battle was about to take place, I was called to get ready at the waiting side.

I clenched my fist as I thought, _whatever the result is, I hope I can still be friends with him. He treated me badly at first, but he really changed since that training issue. He became nicer and his relationship with his Pokémon improved a lot! He is a great friend to be lost. I wish our friendship could stay after this battle._

"Lows Landerson, please step into the battlefield!" I heard the PA system commanded as I walked into the battlefield where everything would be decided. I saw Regis looked at me and gave me a smile. I felt relieved as I smiled back, hoping that when the battle ended, our expression could stay the same.

"To my left, we have Regis Skies from Fortree City! To my right, we have Lows Landerson from Pallet Town! The battle between Regis Skies and Lows Landerson will now begin! The field type and who gets the first move will be chosen at random."

The field circle's arrow started spinning and after a few seconds, it landed on the grass field again like my last battle. After that, the arrow spun around the two pictures and landed on Regis'.

"This battle will be on the grass field, and Regis will have the first move."

As the battlefield changed the grass field that I was familiar of, the referee yelled, "Trainers, please choose your first Pokémon!"

"Alright. Let's fly, Swell!" Regis said as he threw his first Pokéball. The Swellow noticed his trainer's friend and gave a polite nod.

"Hmm... Let's battle, Ziggs!" I said as I threw out my first Pokéball. Ziggs wandered around his comfortable battlefield and examined his opponent.

"The battle between Swell and Ziggs will now begin!"

"Swell, use Steel Wing!" Swell nodded as his wings started to glow silver. He then flew towards Ziggs, trying to land the attack.

"Ziggs, counter with Iron Tail!" I clenched my fist as I told my normal type to use his new move. Ziggs nodded as his tail glowed silver, and when he was fully ready, the hard wings went face-to-face with the iron tail as the impact pushed them both back. They were all still ready to battle more, though.

"Swell, it's time for extra fuel! Focus Energy, then use Wing Attack!" Swell focused as his eyes turned red, meaning that he could land critical hits easier now. As he opened his wings wide and flew towards Ziggs, I commanded, "Ziggs, hide yourself with Dig!"

Ziggs tried to dig a hole at a face pace and jumped into it. However, Regis commanded, "Stay there! He will come out soon!"

 _This can't make us under cover for too long... I need an offense!_

"Ziggs, when you come out, it's time for Facade!" Suddenly, the ground shook as Ziggs came out of there, and released his stored power towards the flying type. Although he was hit, Swell held back the pain and hit Ziggs with his wide wings. After that, they both went back to their same positions. Ziggs seemed to be more tired than the Swallow Pokémon.

"Swell, let's fly high! Aerial Ace!" Swell flew at high speed as I knew I had a way to stop this flying type. "Ziggs, it's time for protection!"

Ziggs knew what I was talking about and used his second new move that he had learnt during my hospitalization: Protect. Although the barrier formed still could be stronger, but at least that gave Swell a surprise when he crashed on the barrier. He tried to regain his composure, as I commanded, "Ziggs, Iron Tail!"

Ziggs' tail glowed silver again as he rushed out of the barrier and jumped high. After that, he used his hard tail and slammed directly at the flying type. The flying type was hit to the ground as he stood up: He never expected Ziggs to improve so much.

"Swell, it's not over till it's over! Final blow, Aerial Ace!"

"Ziggs, Facade with full power!"

Swell was able to outspeed the normal type as he landed the attack. It came out as a critical hit too. Ziggs suffered a lot of pain, but he gritted his teeth as he released the stored power towards Swell before collapsing to the ground. The tired flying type was hit too, and he wasn't able to hold much longer as it stopped flying and fell face first to the ground.

"Swell and Ziggs are unable to battle! This battle is a draw! Trainers, please send out your next Pokémon!"

I thanked Ziggs for his big effort as I returned him. After that, I was wondering who to choose next.

 _Surfer or Power...?_

Regis' next command answered my question as he threw his second Pokéball. He was a Golem, which made me knew who to choose. I took out my second Pokéball as I threw it. "Let's fight, Power!"

The Machoke appeared in the battlefield, checking his opponent. The Golem did look strong, no doubt about it.

"The battle between Boulder and Power will now begin!"

"Boulder, Double Edge!" Boulder started charging towards my Machoke, which I had a plan to stop his attack.

"Power, stop him with Seismic Toss!" Before Boulder could crash Power, he was already one step ahead, he grabbed him and tossed him into the air. The heavy Pokémon was then thrown down to the ground, which made the ground tremble a bit. The Golem slowly got up while panting. He didn't want to give up just yet.

"Boulder, let's try something else. Earthquake!"

"Power, slow him down with Scary Face!" The Golem was going to create a huge quake, but he was slowed down after staring at Power, who made a scary face. That gave us the advantage to fight first.

"Power, good work. Now, let's use Submission!" Power nodded as he rushed forward to attack the Golem. However, Regis solemnly commanded, "Counter with Rock Throw, then charge for Earthquake again!"

The huge boulder was thrown towards my fighting type. He was able to break it with a punch, but that gave Boulder the opportunity. He finished charging up and released the Earthquake. Power, who was affected by it, still had energy left.

"Power, let's do this. Scary Face again!" Power nodded as he forced the Golem to stare at his scary face, making Boulder slower and slower.

"Boulder, don't give up! Rock Throw again!"

"Power, let's go faster! Submission!"

The Golem tried to form the boulder, but the slowness Power caused made him unable to do so quickly. Instead, Power outsped him as he grabbed the Golem then dived for the ground. The impact was huge on Boulder, but Power took some recoil damage from it, too. However, the damage was big enough to make the Golem faint.

"Boulder is unable to battle! Power wins!" The audience cheered as Regis thanked his second Pokémon and returned him. After that, he knew what choice to make as he threw his final Pokéball, "It's all up to you, Cotton!"

I recognized the name as an Altaria appeared in the battlefield. She certainly looked way stronger than before. I trembled while thinking of how many Pokémon she took out from my team back at Verdanturf.

"The battle between Cotton and Power will now begin!"

"Power, let's not give up! Scary Face!" While Power gave the Altaria the scary face, the Altaria still looked very fast as Regis commanded, "Cotton, use Mist, then use Dragonbreath!"

The Altaria nodded as she released a huge layer of mist, making us unable to see where she was. Suddenly, a green-colored fire was burst out through the mist, hitting Power right at the chest. The burning feeling made Power cried in pain as the Altaria was still nowhere to be seen.

"There must be some way... We can't give up! Power, use Rock Tomb!"

"Cotton, use Fly high in the sky!"

As Power released the boulders towards the Altaria, Cotton flew out of the mist while dodging the boulders. Then, she flew towards Power, trying to give out the super-effective attack.

"Power, grab her and use Submission!" I yelled, as I knew that Power couldn't afford to take this hit now.

As Power forcefully grabbed the Altaria while taking some damage from her, he forcefully dived into the ground with her. As Cotton flew back up after recovering, Power was lying on the ground, unable to move.

 _Ah, great! Dang recoil damage..._

"Power is unable to battle! Cotton wins!" I went over to Power as I thanked him. I knew that he did well against the flying type. After that, I returned him and took out my last Pokéball.

 _It's all up to you, buddy..._ I thought as I threw my final Pokéball, releasing Surfer from it. He wandered around the area as he examined his strong opponent.

"The battle between Cotton and Surfer will now begin!"

"Surfer, let's get some defense. Iron Defense!" My water type nodded as his shell glowed silver, making the shell harder.

"Cotton, Dragonbreath!" Cotton released the green fire towards Surfer, as I had a way to counter it.

"Surfer, block the fire with Aqua Tail!" My water type nodded as he used his tail as a defensive barrier towards the green fire. The wet tail was able to extinguish the green fire, but Surfer still took some damage from it.

"Cotton, use Dragon Pulse!" The Altaria released a powerful shock wave from her mouth and hit towards Surfer. Although he was hit by the great impact, his defense reduced some of the damage taken.

 _Not yet... Not yet. I need to wait for her to rush in..._

"Surfer, let's use Surf!" My water type summoned the high waves, but Regis knew his Altaria could just easily dodged them.

"Cotton, dodge the attack and use Fly!" Cotton gracefully flew to the air, as she flew higher and dived straight towards my starter.

 _This is the time!_

"Surfer, counter with Aqua Tail, then use Ice Beam!" Regis was shocked when he heard that Surfer had an ice type move, but it was too late to call her back. As the Altaria rushed towards my Blastoise, he defended himself with his huge tail as the attack pushed them both slightly back. Surfer recovered first as he released the ice beam from his hand and shot it directly towards the dragon and flying type. The Altaria winced in pain as it got hit by the super effective attack.

 _Game changer!_

"Well, you got me there, Lows. Guess it might be time for me to go down." Regis said.

"Never give up. It's not over till it's over, Regis!" I smiled, as he replied, "Which is why I'm going all in for this move. Cotton, Dragon Pulse, full power!"

"Surfer, let's brave the wave! Ice Beam!" As both of the Pokémon released their powerful attack, a huge layer of dust was formed due to the strong impact. After the dust faded, the audience cheered when they saw Cotton falling face first after the impact, while Surfer stood there, panting, declaring me as the final winner.

"Cotton is unable to battle! Surfer wins! The winner is Lows Landerson from Pallet Town!" I happily petted Surfer, who enjoyed the fun battle. However, I felt bad when I saw Regis sighed. _He deserves to have a longer run..._

When I shook hands with him, I apologized, "I'm sorry, Regis."

"What for? This is a battle, after all. It's not like I'm that sore loser back then! Besides, I had so much fun in this battle." He chuckled, "Well, it does sucks to lose in the league, but if I lose to anyone, I'm happy it's you."

"Thanks... But still, I feel bad for not seeing you after the battle list came out. I was scared that it would be awkward."

"Don't worry, I had that thought too when I saw the list. But after that, I told myself no matter what the results are, we will still be friends!" He happily said.

"That's what I hope too. We're still friends, right?"

"Of course!" We happily laughed as we had a bro hug, while the audience cheered for our battle and friendship.

* * *

 **Two days later...**

We were at the Teppanyaki Feast, which we had quite a meal there. The reviews there were good, and it was close to the PokéCentre, so we went and tried it out. It certainly didn't fail to impress us with the tasty meal.

"Cassie, Regis, you two are still gonna stay here to watch?" I asked.

"You bet! Besides, I wanna watch my bros, Disc, Sip and you battling them all!" Regis exclaimed.

"Same here. It's gonna take me a while to prepare for my next trip." Cassie smiled.

"You were so professional at handling the interview!" I exclaimed.

"Well, showing others a happy face is better than showing them a sad face, isn't it?" Cassie asked as we nodded.

"You actually did really well in the battle against Selma. She was just slightly luckier." Disc complemented as Cassie happily smiled.

"I wonder who am I going to battle next, though..." Sip asked to himself.

"Whatever it is, everything will be fine!" Disc told him, as we enjoyed the rest of our meal and walked back to the hotel. On our way back, I had to go use the washroom, so I rushed towards the PokéCentre. After I was done, I walked out of the washroom and saw Harry about to walk in.

"Oh, hi Harry." I greeted, "It seems like you're having a good run so far..."

"I guess the same could be said to you," He smirked then asked, "How are your legs?"

"I'm still recovering, but... it could be worse." I chuckled.

"Well, I hope I can battle you in the league. We shall see who's the best." He said.

"I'll see if I can pass the next round. Anyways, I gotta leave now. See you!" I ended the conversation, and as I walked back to the hotel, I thought, _wow, it's so crazy to think that he was so angry at me back then... Now, he's not the nicest person, but at least he's improving._

I went back to the room, and I knew that the battle list will be out soon, so we talked as the time passed. When the time was up, Sip was the one who went down first. I slowly walked down after I was washed up. When I was out of the hotel, I saw Sip running back, with an upset expression.

"Sip, what's going on? Who did you-" However, he just ran past me without saying a word and went back to the hotel.

"That's unusual." I talked to myself as I slowly reached the PokéCentre. I searched through the television and found my name. When I did, I was more shocked than I ever had in my entire journey. This could be one of the biggest shockers of my life... I was stunned when I stared at the text...

 **TOP 16 BATTLE LIST**

 **Sip Anders VS Lows Landerson**

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **Which Pokémon do you think that helped the most in the battle?**

 **Who will be able to win, Lows or Sip?**


	51. Hoenn 45

**Lows had to face against one of his friends, Regis for the spot to the Top 16. The trainer was able to survive from the clash of friends, eliminating Regis. However, they still remained friends after the battle. This time however, he's going against his best friend and roommate for this league, Sip in the Top 16. How will the battle go and how will it affect them after?**

 **Chapter 45 - The Crack of Friendship**

It was one day before the battle, and I was eating with Disc, Sip and Cassie. Sip was nowhere to be seen by us.

"So... You're not gonna go talk to Sip about it?" Disc asked.

"W-Well, I did try to talk to him. But whenever I woke up, he was already gone from the hotel. When I came back at night, he's already asleep, or maybe pretending to be asleep. When I told him that I wanna talk, he used excuses to end our conversations. I don't know what to do anymore..." I explained in frustration.

"I assumed Sip just feels awkward to talk with you right now, since you're battling him tomorrow... However, you two csn be friends again after the league." Regis said.

"I sure hope so... I hope this battle doesn't ruin our friendship." I sighed.

"Hey, everything will be fine! Smile!" Cassie tried to cheer me up, as I gave them a smile, however I was still slightly affected by Sip's behaviour.

"Also, I'll be battling Selma tomorrow. I'll make sure to avenge you, Cassie." Disc promised.

"Well, I look forward to it!" She chuckled.

"I wonder what my team should be, though..." I sighed. I had zero plans for my battle tomorrow.

"We'll help you out! We can do this together." Cassie suggested as the two boys nodded, and they helped me out with the team planning before we left.

After my friends and I formed a decent looking team, it was quite late at night already, and we knew that we needed to sleep to stay focused during the battles. We bid farewell as we went back to our respective rooms.

As I went back into my room, Sip was of course in his bed sleeping, or pretending to sleep. I did my preparations before going to sleep. I lied on the bed, but I was unable to sleep. I knew I needed to tell Sip something.

I took a deep breath as I said in the room, to Sip who might be asleep, but I didn't care, I needed to express my feelings. "Sip, I know you feel awkward that we're against each other tomorrow and that's why you're avoiding me, I understand. However... I really hope we can stay good friends, no matter what the result is after the league. Let's not let this be the crack of our friendship."

After expressing everything off my mind, I heaved a sigh of relief as I drifted off.

* * *

 **The next day...**

"This is the third day of the battles in the Hoenn League! I'm so excited! Every battle ending means that the new stars will be coming soon!" Fred exclaimed.

"It sure is exciting, Fred. The competitors are getting lesser and lesser as the remaining competitors strive to survive this time, too!" Camelia said.

"What do we have for later?"

"Let's see... We have Daniel Chase battling against Selma Pink, which should be quite an interesting battle!"

"I agree. Disc will have to come up some strategies to win against Selma. He could also take the opportunity to avenge his good friend, Cassie Madison!"

"He certainly has a reason and the skills to take down Selma. Let's anticipate for the battle later!"

"Next up, we have another clash between best friends, Sip Anders versus Lows Landerson!"

"This battle is gonna be heart-breaking for the both of them. They are good friends, and they even share the same room!"

"This is gonna be awkward for the two. However, I'm interested to see how this one would end. Lows has a solid team, while Sip has heroes in every battle: Max in the first round, Bounce at round two, I wonder who will be the next hero..."

"Same here, Fred. Also, we have Harry Waves against Cameron Heights, the battle between the professionals!"

"That's true! The two have been the hottest picks for the Junior Division winner. This is going to be the early finale!"

"It has to suck for one of them to be eliminated. Anyways, the first battle, Daniel Chase versus Selma Pink will be up in five minutes!"

"In the mean time, we'll take a short break and come back when the battle starts! See you then!" Fred concluded their casting for a few minutes before showing the battle between Disc and Selma.

 _Wow... Disc actually won the battle against Selma. He could really go far with his skills, he's probably the strongest of us all besides Harry. He should be going far..._

I didn't get to watch Harry's battle due to the PA system calling me to get ready, but I already knew who the winner was going to be. As I was at the waiting side, I thought about the memories with Sip during my journey.

 _Sip... He's passionate to start his own journey, but he's also caring to his family. When he started his journey, he was full of energy, getting badges at the speed of lightning. He is a good friend to me, and I hope I get to still be friends with him._

"Lows Landerson, please walk into the battlefield." I clenched my fist as I talked into the battlefield with determination.

I saw Sip, who was avoiding eye contact with me. I sighed, but I knew I had to focus on the battle.

The referee walked into the battlefield as he said, "To my right, we have Sip Anders from Lavander Town! To my left, we have Lows Landerson from Pallet Town!" Rhe audience cheered as we got recognition from the previous battles.

"The field type and who gets the first move will be decided now!" As the referee finished his words, the arrow in the television screen spun and stopped at the rock field. Then the other arrow spun, and finally stopped on Sip's picture.

"This battle will be in the rock field, and Sip gets the first move!"

The battlefield changed into a field with a rocky floor and full of boulders at different sizes. After everything was set up, the referee announced, "Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"

Sip took out his first Pokéball as he said, "Let's win, Magma!" He threw the Pokéball as a Magcargo appeared, appearing stronger than I first battled him.

After some thinking, I took out my first Pokéball and did the same, "Power, let's fight!"

The Machoke appeared as he examined the new field. The referee yelled, "The battle between Magma and Power will now begin!"

"Magma, let's go for Flamethrower!" The Magcargo obeyed his trainer's command as he released a huge stream of hot fire.

"Power, dodge and use Rock Tomb!" Power nodded as he dodged the attack and threw the boulders towards the fire type.

"Magma, counter with Ancient Power!" Magma formed many big boulders and moved them towards Power's attack. The boulders crashed and broke into pieces.

"Power, let's use Scary Face!" Power showed him the scary face, however the Magcargo was still unfazed by his attack.

"Magma, let's try a different strategy. Ancient Power towards Power!"

As the boulders were thrown towards my fighting type, I commanded, "Power, break them all!"

As Power started breaking the boulders, my opponent yelled, "Now's the time! While he is busy, use Hyper Beam!"

"Power, dodge!" I forcefully yelled, while Power dodged from the boulders, thinking that the beam would come from that way. However, Magma readjusted its position and released the beam, hitting directly at Power. Power winced in pain as he got hit back.

"Power, hope you cna hold on. Let's go aggressive while he's recharging! Submission!"

Power forcefully stood up and charged at the exhausted fire type as he grabbed Magma and dived into the ground. After they got up, the fire type was badly damaged, but I saw flames bursting from Power's body.

 _Ah, it came back to me again!_ _The burn also reduces attack power too..._

I bit my lip as Sip yelled, "I hope you're ready for this move, Magma! Overheat!"

 _Great..._ "Power, dodge!"

Power tried to run from the burst of flames, but the burn slightly hurt my Machoke as he got distracted. Magma found the opportunity and shot the flames towards his direction. Power was hit by several flame bursts as the burn effect took a toll of him and he collapsed.

"Power is unable to battle! Magma wins!"

 _Bad start..._ I thought as I thanked Power and returned him. Now, I gritted my teeth as I took out my second Pokéball, "Let's get it going, Surfer!"

The Blastoise appeared as he looked at his opponent. He knew Magma was tired, and wanted to end him off as fast as possible.

"The battle between Magma and Surfer will now begin!"

"Magma, Flamethrower!" Sip yelled, even though he knew Magma was tired.

"Surfer, Surf!" I commanded as my water type summoned the big waves towards Magma. The flames got extinguished by the waves, as they hit the fire type. Unable to withstand the super effective attack, he fainted and was unable to move.

"Magma is unable to battle! Surfer wins!"

"Surfer, let's return! I think I know what he would choose." Surfer nodded as I returned him and readied my third Pokéball.

The battle was back to a two versus two. Sip returned Magma and took out his second Pokéball.

"Show them your power, Bounce!" He threw it and the Grumpig appeared.

 _Just like I thought!_ I thought as I threw my final Pokéball, "Shadow, let's do our best!"

My Absol appeared in the battlefield, staring at her opponent. She knew she had to win this crucial battle.

"The battle between Bounce and Shadow will now begin!"

"Bounce, use Psychic!"

"Shadow, rush in and use Night Slash!"

Bounce tried to control his opponent with his psychic powers, but it wasn't affecting my Absol at all due to psychic attacks not effective against dark types. Sip sighed looking at this situation as Shadow gave a powerful slash to the Grumpig.

"Bounce, I'm sorry I did the wrong choice... Shadow Ball!" He sighed, knowing that this is the only move that can attack Shadow.

"Shadow, use Payback after the attack!" Shadow let herself get hit while taking little damage, and released her stored energy to her opponent. Due to the doubled power, the Grumpig was in a no-win situation.

"Bounce, Shadow Ball, full power!" He said after heaving a sigh of regretfulness.

"Shadow, Night Slash once again!" Shadow dodged the shadow blob with her fast pace, and gave out the final blow to Bounce. After taking three powerful super effective attacks, Bounce couldn't do much as he collapsed.

"Bounce is unable to battle! Shadow wins!"

Sip sighed as he returned his Grumpig. He took out his final Pokéball and threw it as he said, "Be the hero today, Max!"

The Flygon appeared as Shadow and I examined him.

 _This must be Sip's strongest Pokémon. Hopefully we can take him down..._

"The battle between Max and Shadow will now begin!"

"Max, let's end this quick! Earthquake!"

Usually, Shadow could dodge the attacks easily. However, this quake is so much stronger than the other quakes. Shadow's fast pace couldn't be used as the wobbly rock floor was shaking so much due to the attack.

"Shadow, Payback!"

"Take her down, Max! Dragon Claw!"

Shadow forcefully released her stored power. However, even the doubled power couldn't do much to the dragon type. The Flygon flew towards her and slashed her hard with his sharp claws. Shadow was badly injured by the claws, as she winced in pain and went down. The audience and I were shocked by how fast Max took down Shadow.

"Shadow is unable to battle! Max wins!"

"Sorry, Shadow. I didn't know he is this strong." Shadow looked at me while she nodded and gave me a faint smile. I returned the smile as I brought her back to her Pokéball.

I took out my last Pokéball, knowing that this could be my last battle in the league. I nodded in determination as I threw the Pokéball, "Let's do this, Surfer!"

The Blastoise returned to the battlefield as he looked at his opponent. He knew he was strong.

"The final battle between Max and Surfer will now begin!"

"Max, Draco Meteor!" Max nodded as he summoned comets from the sky and hit Surfer with some of those.

"Surfer, use Surf!" Surfer nodded as he summoned the waves which hit the Flygon, but he remained unfazed as I noticed something was looking off in the attack.

"What's going on with your attack, Surfer?"

"I don't know... I just feel that my ranged attack powers are weakened."

"Oh great, the after effect of Draco Meteor!" I gritted my teeth as I said, "We can't give up yet. Surfer, Iron Defense!"

Surfer nodded as he used the attack to boost his defense, while Sip commanded, "Let's go aggressive! Max, Dragon Claw!"

 _This is the time!_ "Surfer, wait for him to get close, then use Ice Beam!"

Surfer waited for the right timing and when he found the timing, he shot the ice beam from his hand and hit the Flygon. The Flygon still forcefully hit my starter with the dragon type attack and retreated, which meant that he could still battle, but at least he was finally showing signs of tiredness. However, Surfer was feeling the same too.

"Starting to get tired, Lows..." He said as he tried to stay focus after getting hit by two powerful dragon type attacks.

"Surfer, let's have fun no matter what the result is."

"Won't you get upset?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will be for a few days. But I know you guys' safety are more important. Let's do our best!"

"You bet!" Surfer smiled as Sip finished thinking and commanded, "Max, Dragon Claw again!"

"Surfer, counter with Aqua Tail!"

The two attacks collided as Max slashed Surfer with the sharp claws, while Surfer gritted his teeth and slammed him with his strong tail. The two both backed off as they started panting. They were both exhausted, and any attacks could take them down now.

 _This could be the final move..._

Sip commanded his final decision, "Max, let's end this! Hyper Beam!"

"Surfer, we'll do the same. Ice Beam!"

The Flygon unleashed the powerful beam towards Surfer, while Surfer charged up for the ice beam and released it. The two attacks slid through each other as they both hit their targets. The two winced in pain as the dust appeared again. After the dust dissipated, the results were all clear right in front of our eyes.

* * *

 **After the battle...**

I walked back to the hotel with the gang: Disc, Regis and Cassie behind me. The three didn't know what to say: they knew Sip and I were all greatly affected by this battle's results.

I waved to them as they reached their floors, and when I reached my floor, the elavator opened and Sip was in front of me. He quickly looked away from me and walked into the elavator. I left the elavator and stared at Sip until the elavator was closed. Looking at the closed elavator, I sighed.

 _Maybe... our friendship is closed just like this elevator... We are all affected in this battle, and we do need time to recover from the feelings._

I heaved another big sigh, as I walked back to the room with mixed feelings.

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of the short castings during the live broadcast in every chapter?**

 **Who won the battle in the end?**


	52. Hoenn 46

**The next battle of Lows' run in the league was battling his best friend and roommate, Sip Anders. Due to the battle, Sip avoided Lows whenever he could, making Lows upset. After the battle, it seemed like the crack of their friendship became bigger. Who won the battle and what was going to happen to their friendship?**

 **Chapter 46 - Mending the Broken Friendship**

I was in my room for almost all day for two days in a row. I only took my meals alone, not wanting anyone to bother me. Sip didn't seem like he wanted to bother me anyway. I was still upset at how the friendship was broken.

I knew I had to go meet them again soon, but for now, I just wanted to be alone for now. I sent out my Pokémon after they recovered, and I let them just do things around the room when I do other stuff.

It's the third day after the battle, and I was watching the television broadcast. I was slightly recovered from the broken friendship, but not even close to full recovery. I am a person who really cares about friendship, and I was greatly affected by this incident.

I heaved a sigh of relief, before trying to put my attention towards the television broadcast.

"Hello, my name is Fred, and I'm here with Camelia! It's two days before the quarter-finals battles commence! We shall see the victors that will get into the semi-finals soon enough!"

"It sure is getting more exciting every day. We're gonna talk about who will be battling in the Junior Division Top 8 battles!"

"First off, we have Daniel Chase battling against Sammy McCarton, one of the dark horses of the league!"

"Yeah, Sammy has been proving us wrong everytime he battles! However, Disc is a really good trainer too, and Sammy's winning streak might be over this time!"

"It could be, Camelia. We'll see in two days."

"The second battle will be Cameron Aqua battling Cody Nestor!"

"The two has been decent battlers in the league, and I can't wait how this turns out when the two strive to survive another round in the league!"

"Third battle, we have Polly Deggler, the only female contestant left in the Junior Division, versus Don Graham, the battle genius!"

"It's between skill and knowledge again... Last time, Daniel Chase battled Oscor with skill, taking down his knowledge plays. What will happen this time? Ooh... can't wait to find out!" Fred exclaimed.

"I can't wait either. Lastly, we have Harry Waves battling Sip Anders!"

"Harry is a talented trainer, but Sip's Pokémon kept on being heroes in battles!"

"I know right? Like the Top 16 battle, it was down to an one versus two, and I thought Lows surely got this! However, Shadow and Surfer went down like dominos by Max!"

"Shadow was taken down by Max in two hits, and after a hard-fought battle with Surfer, Max was able to make the outcome!"

"When the dust blocked our vision, we were so excited to see the results. When it dissipated, we were shocked. For sure we thought Surfer got this in the back!"

"I guess Max really made an outcome in this battle. However, will Sip be able to win against the hottest pick in the league?"

"We'll find out after two days! That's it for the latest updates of the Hoenn League for the Junior Division, now we'll tell you all the condition of..." I couldn't focus with the television anymore. I sighed as I switched off the television and lied on the bed. But still, I couldn't sleep with such mixed feelings.

 _Accept the fact... that you lost in the league and your best friend, Lows Landerson!_

Tears fell from my face as I lied on the bed with the non-stop crying. For once, I wanted to be alone with no disturbance...

* * *

The Pokémon looked at their trainer's condition and they were sad and worried about their trainer.

"Surfer, are you sure he will be okay? We never see him behave like this before..." Power asked, concerned.

"I don't know either... Let's just leave him alone in the meantime. Usually during situations like this, he would want to stay away from anyone. He's not the crowd person." Surfer explained.

"But... we can't just leave him like that! H-He just suffered from the league lost, which apparently isn't the biggest issue right now. The biggest issue right now is, he just lost his best friend..." Woody said.

"Yeah, we all know how Lows cherishes friendship more than anything." Ziggs agreed.

"I-I'm really sorry, it's all my fault." The Blastoise who was usually cheerful became upset too. "I should've taken down that Flygon when I had the chance..."

"Surfer, you know it wasn't your fault!" Ziggs comforted his best friend.

"Yeah, Surfer. You did everything you can do out there. We should be sorry too for not able to assist you three." Grace added.

"Well, what's more important is to make Lows recover from this." Power said.

"It's gonna take him a while..." Woody and the others sighed while looking at their upset trainer.

* * *

Someone suddenly knocked the door. I wasn't going to bother it, but Surfer went and opened the locked door. I faced to the opposite side and pretended I was sleeping. This wasn't the time to bother anyone for me.

I thought it was Sip, but the person got closer to me and asked, "Lows... Are you there?"

 _That voice... It's Disc._

I continued ignored him by pretending, but my friend didn't mind as he mocked, "Still sad because of the league lost? Man, you need to move on! It's not like it's the end of the world-"

I was triggered by his words, and I got up from the bed and angrily replied, "I'm not sad because of losing the league! You know I'm not that type of person!"

He suddenly smirked, "I know, Lows. I just want to see if you're really sleeping. Turns out it's easier than I thought..."

I bit my lip as I thought, _great..._

He cleare his throat before saying, "I know you were pretending all along. You're not the crowd type person, and you always do that when you want to be alone. However, I need to tell you everything I have in my mind.

I know that you're not upset because you lost in the league, Lows. The reason why is because you lost your best friend. I know you don't have many friends, and I'm sorry that I'm not always there to be with you along the journey, and after this league ends, we might all be going to different places. However, I want you to know that you have so many friends besides Sip, such as me, Cassie and Regis. I hope you move on and we can help you out... together."

The sudden warm feelings hit me, as tears started to roll down my face. The tears dropped contained mixed feelings: I was sad and upset to remember that I lost a good friend, but I was also touched by Disc's words.

 _I-I have felt so alone just because that Sip isn't friends with me anymore, but I really forgot that I have more friends than I thought..._

I couldn't stop crying, while Disc gave me a hug and petted my back, knowing that I will recover soon after the downpour of feelings was over.

* * *

Sip was at the back of the door. He forgot to bring something, and he went back to take it, even though he knew how awkward it would be for him to see Lows.

Suddenly, he heard Disc's voice and their conversation, after that, he heard crying sounds, and he knew that they were from Lows.

He sighed. He wanted to remain friends with Lows, he really did! However, he didn't want his battling performance to be affected by friendship, that's why he avoided him all this time.

His mind started shaking when Lows told him his feelings in the room. He wasn't sleeping, just pretending. He cared for him as a good friend too, and he did more than enough as a friend: Inspiring him to start his journey, encouraging each other along their journeys, and even saving him from Team Will...

He wanted to apologize to Lows and remain friends with him, but he always had this thought before doing so: _is it too late now?_

He needed more preparation: He had to accept the fact that Lows might not even accept his apology, their friendship might not be the same as before...

He sighed, before leaving the room, knowing that the two needed some time.

* * *

Harry was there in his room. He wasn't the type to go out and have fun. He thought back to when he watched the battle between Lows and his opponent.

 _Lows was close... But that trainer's Flygon is way too hard to be defeated by Lows' Pokémon. Sucks for him..._

After the battle list came out, he was even more upset. He was battling the trainer who defeated Lows, Sip Anders. If Lows won the battle, they could finally have a battle after such a long time to show their skills to each other.

After he met Lows at Dewford, he knew that he should care for his Pokémon. That was definitely what Grovyle- Woody wanted him to do. He changed his attitude to his Pokémon. His Pokémon still needed time to accept their trainer, but they knew Harry's improving and they slowly started to obey his commands. It was looking very good, and he couldn't wait to battle Lows again to tell him: "Hey, I'm not the Harry from before! Much stronger and with care towards Pokémon now!" But this happened...

He clenched his fist. He knew that there's only one way to thank him, and to let people know who changed him. And that was...

To become the winner of the Junior Division.

 _Let's do our best, for him, for myself..._

* * *

Sip was at the waiting side of the battlefield. It was almost his turn to battle against Harry Waves. However, he wasn't in his battle mood that day. There was just something in his mind that couldn't be taken off, and he knew what is was. He tried to stay focus to what was going to happen next for him, but he couldn't.

 _I really hope his plan works... However, I need to focus for this one first._

When the PA system called him, he walked into the battlefield. He couldn't focus on what the referee said, and even jumped when the battlefield changed. He really couldn't focus on the battle at all.

He knew he wanted to regain the friendship, but he had a battle ahead right now.

 _Sip, you're way better than this performance!_

He forced himself to be more focused as the battle continued to take place.

* * *

 **At the arena seat...**

"Hmm... Sip definitely isn't in his best condition today." Disc, who just won his Top 8 battle came to watch the battle with us three. I had slightly recovered and rejoined the gang as we watched the Junior Division battles.

"I know... It feels like something is off in his performance." Regis agreed.

"If this continues, Sip is going to lose this battle!" Cassie shouted.

"Maybe he's not used to the full battle format?" Disc made a wild guess.

"Maybe..." I continued staring at the battlefield, watching the battle. After a while, Sip had only one Pokémon left, while Harry still had four. It looked like an unwinnable situation for the Lavender Town trainer. Even though his last Pokémon was Max, who was always the hero in Sip's battles, but without the passion that Sip had before, Max was only able to take down one of Harry's Pokémon and went down.

"Max is unable to battle! Rose wins! The winner is Harry Waves from Dewford Town!" The audience cheered for the hottest pick for the winner as Sip sighed before shaking Harry's hand. I saw Harry giving Sip a confused look before he let go of his hand.

 _Even he knows that Sip is not doing well today... I wonder what's going on._

While the reporters were interviewing Harry, one of them asked, "How do you feel about this battle?"

He replied, "I don't think Sip is at good condition today. From his previous battles, he was way better than today."

"What do you think that caused him to be like this?"

"Perhaps the Top 16 battle took a toll of him." He guessed.

After that, they interviewed Sip and asked, "Harry said your performance is off today. What's going on with you?"

"I-I don't know. Just had something stuck in my mind."

"And may I ask if it's about the Top 16 battle?"

Sip was stunned by the reporter's questions, and after a few seconds, he said, "Y-Yes, it is. I was slightly affected by it."

"Sucks for you!"

"Y-Yeah, I'm happy that I made it to Top 8 though." With that, the interview ended and Sip left the stage immediately.

"Lows, maybe Sip does want your friendship back!" Cassie happily exclaimed as she grabbed my shoulder.

"I-I don't know. Maybe he just said that to play it off. Who knows..." I shrugged.

"We'll see later." Disc said as a smirk formed on his face. He thought back to when he met Sip two days ago...

* * *

Disc was using the elevator to get down to the hotel after comforting Lows. He knew he would recover, but he hoped it would be quicker. When the elevator opened, he was shocked to see Sip at that floor. He went to him and asked, "Sip? What are you doing here?"

Sip jumped as he stuttered, "I... I just wanted to get some stuff, so I returned. However, I know you two were in there- Ah, great!" He stopped talking when he realized he told Disc that he was there when the conversation took place.

"Huh?! That means you heard us. You know how much Lows cared about you?" He asked with a stern look.

"I know. However, I felt like it's too late to make an apology with my actions right now..."

"It's never too late. If you don't make an apology and explain everything to your friend, the crack of friendship will just be bigger."

"I-I'll just make it stay like this, then." Sip said.

"Oh really? Then I hope you don't regret your decision. Lows barely have any friends, but when he does make friends, he treats them just like his family. You really broke his heart!"

He trembled. He was upset when he heard Lows crying sadly. He knew he really messed up. He wanted to make up for it, and if it was not too late yet, he could make a run for it.

Disc looked at his expression and knew he convinced him, "I have a plan, and maybe that can help you out."

"W-What is the plan?"

"You see, Lows will be hanging out with us for the entire day during the Top 8 battles. Here's what we gotta do..."

* * *

As I walked with them back to the hotel after a hearty dinner, Disc suggested to go to his room and hang out for a while. We happily agreed as we walked back to Regis and Disc's room. The designs and accessories were similar to my room. We basically got ourselves snacks as we watched television programmes and had a good time.

Suddenly, Disc received a call from his Pokégear. After the call was done, the doorbell rang as Disc went and received a disc from a person. I chuckled, "Disc, you still play discs in your journey? Haha!"

"Nope! Inside this disc is a great movie that you will never forget."

"Oh really? Let's play it, then!" Disc smirked as he heard my words and obeyed my command. The DVD player was opened and the disc was put inside.

The "movie" started playing. At first, it was showing a white wall, until someone appeared on the screen. It was none other than...

"S-Sip?" I curiously asked as the trainer started speaking.

"At first at Lavander Town, I was a person that wanted to start off my journey, but I didn't want to leave my parents at Lavander, too. They worked hard for me, and I wanted to help. However, a trainer appeared and accepted my offer to battle me. Mom and Dad were there to watch me, and they wanted me to go for it. I was finally able to start a journey on my own, thanks to this trainer.

In my journey, I had to rush and get all ten badges in just three months. However, I didn't care. I was happy, full of energy. I was finally able to start a journey on my own!

However, when I got my ninth badge, something happened in Mossdeep and I had to stop Team Will from getting the Fiery Fossil. After the incident, I was caught by Team Will, and after hearing from me, Lows and the gym leaders worked together and saved me. Lows even almost died to stop their plans... and to save me.

After getting the last badge, I went to the Hoenn League and reunited with him again, and we shared the same room and talked about team planning for our battles. We were happy, until the battle list for Top 16 came out.

I had to battle against him. I became a complete coward and avoided him whenever I met him. I didn't want it to be awkward for us, but mainly because that I felt selfish. I wanted to win the battle, and gave up our friendship because of this. But when I won against him, I didn't feel happy. I felt awful that I let go of my friendship just to get into Top 8. I wanted to apologize to him for everything, but I didn't know if it's too late or not."

Small tears fell from his face as he sighed, "But I knew I have to do this. I don't expect that he will forgive me, but I needed to express my feelings. I'm sorry, Lows. I hope you can forgive me, and maybe... be friends again." He bowed as the video ended.

I was stunned. _He recorded this video... for me. He still cared about our friendship..._

Suddenly, the doorbell rang again as Disc went and opened the door. To my surprise, Sip appeared right in front of me as he said, "L-Lows, I'm sorry."

The tears I had held back for this few minutes burst out. Sip went to me and said, "I'm sorry. I... I hope you can forgive me..."

"I... I barely have any friends in the past. I'm h-happy to meet some here, and I really... cherish our friendship..." I said between my crying.

"I-I know, I know..." He said in regretfulness.

"T-Thank you for at least wanting to apologize for everything. I... I forgive you, and I think the same too. You're one of my best friends..."

"R-Really?!" Sip asked in curiosity and happiness, as I nodded. We had a bro hug as I thought, _finally... We managed to mend our broken friendship. Hopefully... this friendship will stay forever after this..._

The other three happily cheered as they high-fived each other. Cassie said, "Disc, your plan really worked!"

"Yeah, bro! You're a mastermind!" Regis exclaimed.

I turned to them and asked, "W-Wait... You three knew this all along?"

Disc explained, "Yes... Sip heard our conversation and I knew that he wanted to fix everything too, so I helped him to record this video, and we lured you here to watch it. It worked!"

"T-Thanks, guys..."

"No problem! Besides, we would like to see the happy Lows again." Cassie said as we laughed, and I cheerfully suggested, "You all are the best! After the league, why don't we all have a group picture together before we seperate?"

They all happily accepted my suggestion, and Cassie said, "It will be soon, anyway. Disc is the only one that is still in the run!"

"Haha... Don't worry, I won't go down that fast." Disc chuckled as the happy atmosphere I always liked surrounded our room.

 _Thanks, everyone. I really hope... Our friendship stays stronger than ever._

* * *

 **Lows' Pokémon Team:**

 **Surfer (Blastoise, Male) Jolly Nature**

 **Ability: Torrent**

 **Moves: Surf, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense**

 **Ziggs (Linoone, Male) Naive Nature**

 **Ability: Quick Feet**

 **Moves: Dig, Iron Tail, Protect, Facade**

 **Grace (Gardevoir, Female) Calm Nature**

 **Ability: Synchronize**

 **Moves: Calm Mind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt**

 **Woody (Grovyle, Male) Lonely Nature**

 **Ability: Overgrow**

 **Moves: Agility, Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Rock Tomb**

 **Power (Machoke, Male) Timid Nature**

 **Ability: Guts**

 **Moves: Rock Tomb, Scary Face, Submission, Seismic Toss**

 **Shadow (Absol, Female) Quiet Nature**

 **Ability: Super Luck**

 **Moves: Payback, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Protect**

 **Questions of the Chapter:**

 **How do you think of Disc's plan?**

 **How do you feel about the mended friendship?**

 **The next chapter will be the final chapter. What would you like to find out before the story ends?**


	53. Hoenn 47 (Finale)

**After the Top 16 battle, Lows was officially eliminated from the Hoenn League for Year 2004. The friendship between him and Sip was also broken, but with Disc's plan, the friendship was mended and became stronger than ever. After the Hoenn League, Lows planned for his next step, and everything will be revealed before he left, including the mystery he wanted to find out in his journey.**

 **Chapter 47 - One Ends, Another One Begins**

"The finale of the Junior Division will finally be starting in ten minutes!" The host in the stadium announced as the four of us excited cheered along with the crowd. Sip, Cassie, Regis and I were anticipated for the final battle.

After ten minutes, the two trainers walked out of the battlefield as the referee announced, "To my left, we have Harry Waves from Dewford Town!" The cheers abrupted upon hearing the trainer's name.

"To my right, we have Daniel Chase from Pallet Town!" When Disc's name was called out, the audience cheered as well for the newcoming talent.

After the arrows finished rolling around the circles, the referee announced, "This battle will be in the grass field, and Harry gets the first move."

The battlefield changed into the grassy field, as the two started the battle. The battle was full of intensity, as the audience was more excited as the battle progressed. We were also excited to find out the winner of this battle. However, I also noticed that Harry started giving his Pokémon nicknames.

 _He sure changed a lot..._

After the collision of moves, their second last Pokémon went down and the referee announced, "Both Rose and Starlight are unable to battle! This battle is a draw! Trainers, please send out your last Pokémon!"

They both returned their Pokémon as they took out their Pokéballs and threw them in unison. Harry was left with his Swampert, while Disc was left with Leafy the Venusaur.

 _The final battle is a starter battle..._

"The battle between Poseidon and Leafy will now begin!"

The two trainers started giving commands. Poseidon started out with an Earthquake attack, which hit his opponent. Leafy fought through the pain as she released a Sludge Bomb attack, but Poseidon protected himself using Protect.

As the barrier broke, Leafy found the opportunity and used Energy Ball on her opponent, which the slow Poseidon was unable to dodge it and took a lot of damage. However, Poseidon didn't give up and rushed towards Leafy, giving her a powerful Ice Punch which surprised us. Leafy was hit back and she started panting, the same could be said to the Swampert as well. Suddenly, a small veil of water surrounded Poseidon, while green leaves surrounded the Venusaur as well.

"They both activated their abilities... Both of them could go down any second now." Cassie analysed.

The Venusaur started charging up for a Solarbeam attack, which Harry was aware of. The Swampert remained unfazed as he released a Muddy Water attack, hitting Leafy and blinding her vision. She released the powerful beam to the wrong direction, as Poseidon took the opportunity and gave her another Ice Punch. The Venusaur was pushed back and she collapsed, unable to move.

"Leafy is unable to battle! Poseidon wins! Everyone, your Junior Division winner is Harry Waves from Dewford Town!"

The cheers abrupted the stadium as Disc hugged his Venusaur, knowing that she did a great job. Harry just petted the Swampert, which made Poseidon happy. The two returned their Pokémon and happily shook hands.

Disc came back to the seat after a few minutes as we congratulated him, "Disc, you did well. Congratulations on getting into the finals."

"Yeah... Thanks. I was a bit upset that I couldn't win, but I can't complain, I got further than what I expected. Besides, Harry did very well." He accepted the loss fair and square.

We continued watching as a reporter interviewed Harry, "Harry Waves! Congratulations on winning the Junior Division of the Hoenn League 2004! How do you feel right now?"

He took a hand microphone and replied, "I feel very good. What I couldn't achieve when I participated in the Indigo League, I did it here with my Pokémon!" The audience cheered at his response.

"What are your plans after winning the Junior Division?"

"I would like to battle the Elite Four, and maybe the Champion after I'm fully prepared. I'm going to a region to train before battling them."

"I heard that when you first started your journey in Hoenn, people complained that your attitude towards Pokémon wasn't that nice. Is that true?"

"I admit, I wasn't the best trainer when I started my journey. I treated my team rudely due to a childhood trauma, and I am regretful for what I did in the past." He then turned to the reporter and asked, "May I please thank some people here?"

"Sure thing, Harry. Take your time!"

He cleared his throat and started saying, "Dad, thank you for being a great father to me. I wasn't the best son, but you were always there for me when I was a child. Till now, you still cared about me and wanted to help me change my attitude, and I hope you can see my progress as a trainer today. Also..." He stopped and took a deep breath before saying, "I know I'm adopted, Dad."

The audience were in shock as I thought, _Harry knew he was adopted? How?_

"I found some files and knew my backstory. Thank you Dad, for saving me before I get washed away by the waves, and adopted me as your son. If you're watching this right now, I just want to say that I'm proud to be your son."

The audience's then cheered for Harry's touching words. Harry then continued, "Next, I would like to thank a trainer. At first, I was already acting terrible to you back at Kanto."

I was stunned by his first sentence. _Is he talking about... me?_

"Along our journeys, we met each other for a few times. You helped me took care of two of my Pokémon, and you treated them so much better than me, I thank you for that. But what is more important is that... You changed my attitude towards my Pokémon. After hugging my former childhood Pokémon, I knew he wants me to treat my Pokémon better. The trainer also showed me that Pokémon can be friends to everyone, they are our best company whenever we are. He is the reason why I changed my attitude towards my Pokémon, and all of us are happy."

He took another deep breath before saying his final sentence, "Lows Landerson, thank you. You really inspired me, and don't forget about our promise! I want to battle you the next time we meet in another journey." He smiled while I stared at him, happy that he really changed a lot compared to the past.

The audience clapped for Harry and I as the interview came to an end. We left the stadium and Disc said, "Wow, you sure influenced him a lot."

"Yeah... I never knew he would take my words in his mind. He changed so much..." I chuckled.

"Anyways, the ending festival will be up tonight. Who wants to join in the fun?" Cassie asked.

We all agreed to join the festival as we prepared ourselves in our rooms. As I got ready, I said, "It feels just like yesterday when I started my journey."

"Yeah, I know... Time flies, and we grew up a lot." Sip smiled as he took some stuff before saying, "I'm ready. What about you?"

"Always ready to go!" I laughed as we reached the venue where the festival was held. We met up with the other three as we played games and ate delicious food. We all had a good time.

We were at a round table, having some delicious fruit popsicles. Suddenly, Regis asked, "What are you all going to do after the league ended?"

"Good question! I planned this for a while now, and I wanted to learn more about contests, so I'm going to Orange Islands after my journey! There are many amazing showboats there too, such as the Eevee Showboat, Qualot Queen and so many more! I would have a better knowledge about contests through my next journey." Cassie smiled.

"Hmm... I'm thinking of going home and participate in the Indigo League, and see if I can maybe win the league. What about you, Regis?" Disc asked.

"I'm planning on applying for the Ace Trainer Association! This is my dream fro quite a while now, and hopefully I get accepted!"

"With your skills, I'm sure you're gonna succeed." I encouraged him.

"Thanks. What about you, Lows and Sip?"

"Well... I don't have plans for now. I'll see how it goes." Sip said.

"Same goes for me. I need some planning before setting up my next step..." I said.

"Anyways, wherever we go next, let's keep in contact!" We nodded at Cassie's words as we continued to do activities in the festival. After the festival ended, we went back to the hotel as Disc took out his Pokégear, "It's photo time!"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the group photo! Thanks, Disc."

"No problem." He said as he handed the Pokégear to another trainer. The trainer said as we got ready, "1, 2, 3... Say cheese!"

We smiled and made different poses as the trainer took clear photos and handed it to its owner.

"I'll open a chat group and send these pictures there. Besides sending pictures, we can also keep in touch after we seperated!"

"Thanks, everyone. You all fulfill my wish to take a group photo. I'll keep the photos forever." I happily said.

* * *

When we're back to the room, besides from getting the photos from Disc, I also received a call from my parents. I accepted the call as my parents' faces appeared om the screen.

[Lows! You did well in the Hoenn League. Top 16 isn't an easy achievement after all.]

"Thanks, Mom. How are you all doing back there?"

[We're doing great! We just wished that you and Charmaine can be here, too.]

"Talking about sis, do you know that sis started a relationship with someone?"

[Really?! In the past, she was never attracted to boys. I guess this guy got something in him. How is that guy like?]

I thought about Wally as I said, "He's a nice guy, and always gentle and kind. He's also the gym leader of Lilycove City."

[I see... Anyways, what do you plan to do next?]

"I don't know... Maybe continue my journey at another region."

[Why don't you go to Johto if you don't plan to come back? Johto is close to Kanto and Hoenn, and a great place to test your abilities.]

"I'll see, Dad. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll tell you when I have a decision." With that, I ended the call and thought about Dad's suggestion.

 _Johto... It would be nice to travel to another region, but I wouldn't know anything about the region. I'm not sure if I would get lost in Johto, not knowing where to go..._

Sip suddenly asked, "What is the call about?"

"Well, it's my parents. They gave me a suggestion to travel in Johto for my next step, but I don't know anything about the region."

"Lows, why don't I travel with you?" He suddenly suggested, "I travelled in Johto with my parents when I was young, so I might have some memories about the region. Besides, I want to take another step too."

"That's all set! Let's go to the Johto region for our journey!" I happily made my decision as we smiled, ready for our next region to be travelled: Johto.

* * *

 **A week later...**

Sip and I were ready. We got our tickets ready for the ship to Johto. My friends were going to leave Hoenn later than us, so they were there to see us leave. Also, there were some familiar people that went to see us...

"Lows, thank you for helping us out. We couldn't live back our normal lives without you and the gym leaders." Stone said as Kyla nodded.

I smiled, "It's all good. Besides, I knew you two were forced to do it anyway."

Stone rubbed his head as Kyla said, "See, Stone? I told you thanking a person isn't that hard."

"I'm only doing it because you told me to, and Lows did help us out!"

"Well... It's good that you obey to what I say, Stone."

"Of course! You're my girl, and I'll always listen to you and be there for you!"

"Aww... You're so sweet."

Just when I was curious about their relationship, May explained, "They became a couple after they started living their normal lives."

"Good for them..." I smiled.

"Lows, I hope you will do well in Johto. Also, Brendan would like you to visit Hoenn again when you have the time." May helped Brendan, who was busy in a meeting with PLA to speak his words. I nodded as I replied, "I will. Also, I know you like Brendan. Go for it someday, May."

"W-Well... I'll wait for the right time..." May blushed as I laughed. I then went to my friends, who just said goodbye to Sip.

"Like I said before, let's keep in touch in the chat group." Disc smiled as we had a bro hug.

"Don't worry, Disc. I will definitely do that. I hope you can do well in the Indigo League too."

Cassie then hugged me and said, "I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"Same here, Cassie. Thanks for your cheerfulness in the journey, it really helped me out."

"No problem! Also, I have a question. Did you find the mystery trainer?"

I sighed, "Unfortunately... no. I tried finding him in different cities, but it was to no avail with that little clues."

"I'm sure you'll find him someday!"

"Yeah, I hope so. Thanks, Cassie."

Regis then turned to me and said, "Remember what I said before about missing someone?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I know. Missing someone is just a feeling, but eventually we have to push through it and do what we gotta do. I'll always keep that in mind, don't worry. Besides, we can still chat through our Pokégears!"

"I know you would remember." We smiled as my sister came to me with Wally, "Little bro, good luck in Johto!"

"Thanks, sis. I'll miss you a lot." I hugged her.

"I know you will. However, you should be getting video calls from Mom and Dad, so you'll see me several times too."

"W-What does that mean?"

"Charmaine and I will be leaving Hoenn and go to Hoenn for two years." Wally answered my question.

"That means the number of gym badges are back to eight?"

"Yeah, for now. However, I'm not sure if Mom and Dad would accept me again. And the fact that I have a boyfriend..."

"Don't worry, they miss you a lot, they probably would be very happy! Besides, I told them about Wally already." I chuckled as my sis shouted, "What?! You're so going to get it from me next time!"

I laughed as my sister playfully hit my back lightly.

Steven then came towards me and said, "Looks like you're a fast trainer, going to another region already... I hope you do well in Johto."

"Thanks, Steven. Hope you do well in Devon!"

"Well... I would rather collect rarer stones for my collection." He chuckled. "Lows... I want to say-"

Suddenly, he was interrupted by the announcement, "The ship to Johto has arrived. Please get into the ship now and go to your respective rooms."

Sip and I waved our hands to my friends as a final farewell before knowing our room numbers. Sip said, "Guess we'll see each other when the ship arrived."

"Yeah, let's meet up later." We went to our respective rooms. I opened the window of my room, and I looked outside and saw my friends looking at the ship with tears before leaving.

 _I'm going to miss you all... And I'll find the mystery trainer too, someday..._ I thought and suddenly, Steven came back to see me with his Metagross.

 _I thought he had something to say... Is he going to say it now?_

Indeed, he saw me and waved his hand to get my attention. He yelled, "Lows, good luck in your journey! Warrior and I will cheer for you... wherever you go!"

I waved my hand to him as I suddenly had a thought. I was surprised when I knew what he meant.

 _Warrior... Isn't that the Pokémon the mystery trainer has? T-That means..._

I looked at Steven, who kept his smile and kept on waving his hand, while Metagross- I mean Warrior, stared at me as the ship set sail.

After the ship went far and the two became smaller and disappeared from my sight, tears dropped from my face again.

 _T-Thank you for saving me three years ago, and when I was against Team Will..._

 _Thank you for trying your best to stop Azore from attacking me..._

 _I hope you will always do well in whatever you do..._

 _Don't worry, I will be fine too..._

 _Because I have you guys in my heart, forever..._

 _Thank you, Steven, Disc, Cassie, Regis... I hope to see you all again._

I clenched my fist as I stayed in my room, determined to continue my journey in Johto.

* * *

Steven and Warrior continued looking at the ship until it was out of sight.

"Do you think he will be fine?" Steven asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides, he has his Pokémon with him." Warrior smiled.

"I sure hope so. Do you think he found the truth he wants?"

"I'm pretty sure he found it. His expression showed a surprised feeling to me."

"Hahaha... You're good at reading minds. Anyways... I'm glad I could express the truth to him in the end."

"Same here, Steven."

The two smiled as they left the dock without saying a word. They knew their mission was accomplished...

* * *

 **At a different place...**

The former leader of the Team Will Grunt Squad, Peggy was in a dark place. He had to hide there in the meantime to avoid the police.

He was angry and upset. Team Will disbanded, and he and to hide like a pitiful Rattata to avoid those people. He wanted to show them that he would destroy them one day.

He evilly smirked as he said, "I will recreate Team Will... and make it stronger than ever. I'll show them... Who is the real boss here in this region. Wait for it... Muahahahahaha!"

His evil laughs were heard throughout the room, and he will make sure that no one gets into his way... No one.

* * *

 **And... This is it for Lows' journey in the Hoenn region! I think I got everything included, right? Hopefully! I really hoped you all enjoyed the ending of the story, and stay tuned for my second story: Johto - The Journey Continues!**

 **I will be taking a month break to make the first chapters, but you can also check out my side story in the meantime, which is a Minecraft Fanfic - Minecraft Ultra Hardcore: Game to Reality. I will most likely post a chapter or two there during my break :)**

 **Fun fact, Peggy, Azore and Sip are characters named after my internet friends: InsertDotJpeg, qKarma and Sipwin.**

 **And now, I would like to thank some people:**

 **flblaziken: How could I not thank you? You're the best author I've ever seen, and you are the one who inspired me to make this story. I treat you as a role model and a good friend, and I really enjoyed your suggestions throughout my story making.**

 **At first, I made this account to read Kanto: The Start of the Journey, but look at me now, I finished a full story! I thank you for always reviewing my story even though you're busy with work, and I can't wait for us to work together for the Johto story :)**

 **Gokukrish: I remember when you followed and favourite my story, I was so happy and it took me a while to sleep that day. Every now and then, you would come and review my chapters and give me suggestions, and I enjoyed them too. I know you're currently busy, and I hope after everything is over, you can review the chapters and post some chapters in your story, I would love to see that. Thank you!**

 **WyldClaw: Thanks for coming here to review some of my chapters when you have the time. I really enjoyed every review you send, and hopefully I'll see you again in my next story :)**

 **And, I wanna say thank you to everyone who read my story, and are even kind enough to favourite and follow it. I am not the best author in this site, but your follows, favourites and reviews really lightened up my day :)**

 **And now, I announce that Hoenn - Where the Journey Begins is officially completed!**

 **Is this the end? Of course it is not. I'll see you again in Johto - The Journey Continues :)**


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